Destiny Still Arrives (Two-shot)
by JLyman
Summary: And now it's here... Or, should I say,... ...I am. (First Prequel to "Anime War: Infinite")
1. Dread It

**Hello everyone, and welcome to the first prequel one-shot to "Anime War: Infinite"!**

 **In this prequel, as stated from above, you will explore the backstory of the characters of RWBY and how they will be involved in the main storyline; specifically Ruby Rose herself.**

 **But be warn though... there are going to be moments in this one-shot that you may not expect. So hold on to your butts...**

 **Here we go!**

 **WARNING : This prequel will contain some spoilers to "Avengers: Infinity War" (Author's Note in the end will contain spoilers, as well). If you have not watched the movie, I suggest you go do that before reading this fanfic. Thank you...**

* * *

 _It's the start of something else..._

 _ **Yes... Yes it is...**_

 _And it all starts here..._

 ** _...Yes it does._**

 _Do you think it's wise for him to go alone?_

 _ **Ufufufufufu... he'll be fine.**_

 _ **Let him have his fun...**_

* * *

Things were not looking good; specifically in Oscar's point-of-view.

Everything had started when he, Ruby, Weiss, Yang, Qrow, Jaune, Nora, and Ren arrived at Haven academy to meet up with the Headmaster of said academy; Professor Lionheart. They were to discuss plans on rescuing the Spring Maiden from the Branwen tribe.

However, as they were heading towards their destination, Oscar felt... nervous. Ozpin, the soul that merged with him not so long ago, told him that something was off. That something wasn't right. When Lionheart called to meet up with him, the headmaster seemed to be calm... too calm. Ozpin never remembered hearing his old friend with that attitude. Lionheart would always sound nervous whenever something bad happened, or he would feel excited whenever something good happen. So for him to hear the lion faunus in such a state, meant that something else was going on.

And he was right.

When Oscar and his friends met up with the Haven Headmaster, everything went downhill from there.

Raven Branwen, Qrow's sister, was there with Lionheart. With her came the people that were responsible for the Fall of Beacon months ago and the subordinates to Salem herself: Cinder Fall, Emerald Sustrai, and Mercury Black. Along with them was a woman named Vernal; who was most likely from Raven's tribe.

Though that was only the beginning. Through the doors, entered another of Salem's subordinates; Hazel. The man mentioned that the White Fang were outside, and that charges were placed all over the academy.

Oscar and his friends were surrounded; with no way out. They were all played right into the villains' hands.

And, to make matters worse, Professor Lionheart was working under Salem.

With limited options, the heroes chose the only thing that they were trained to do:

They fought back.

But sadly, it was not an easy one.

Jaune was quickly decimated by Cinder.

Ruby unleashed her Silver Eyed Powers, but with little effect.

Weiss was impaled by a spear formed and thrown by Cinder.

When the latter happen, that's when things took a turn for the worse...

Ozpin's identity was revealed to the ones that hadn't know, including Hazel. The large, muscular man was immediately enraged by this sudden revelation. With this led to where Oscar was right now... or more particularly where 'Ozpin' was right now.

Oscar was now watching from within his mind-scape, as the former Headmaster of Beacon and Ren were in the middle of fighting a powered-up berserk Hazel. He was fighting him earlier on but, knowing that Hazel was too strong for him, Ozpin took control of Oscar's body. Qrow was also fighting Hazel earlier, but he was knocked into a wall not so long ago.

To his left, Ruby and Yang were continously fighting off against Emerald and Mercury.

While to his right, Nora and Jaune were desperately trying to keep Weiss alive and stable.

There was also the fact that Cinder, Raven, and Vernal had entered into Haven's vault; where the Relic of Knowledge was being kept.

As stated before, things were NOT looking good. Deep down, Oscar knew that they were fighting a losing battle. With the situation they were in at the moment, it would be soon before all of his friends, including him, would be taken down by the forces of Salem.

Normally, Oscar would be afraid right now; afraid that he will be killed. But, with the manifestation of Ozpin's soul inside him, and the training that he had done before all this, the farmer boy strangely felt brave and encouraged by the situation he was in. His survival instincts were on overdrive, even if Ozpin was now controlling his body.

Oscar didn't want to give up, and fair enough, that feeling was... good. He would admit, it was crazy for him to be a part of this. But what choice did he had? He didn't expect any of this to happen until a couple of months ago. With the knowledge and new memories Ozpin gave him, Oscar slowly accepted the craziness.

Even so, Oscar was still in the middle of a losing battle. If there was anything, _anything_ at all, to turn the tide for the fate of Haven Academy, then he and his friends would gladly take that.

But it was not something that they, or anyone, had expect to arrive.

 ** _FRWROOMPH!_**

Suddenly, as everyone was continuing their perspective fights, a very large, dark blueish rift appeared within the room.

Miraculously, both heroes and villains stopped what they were doing and looked towards the dark rift, even Jaune; who just recently unlocked his Semblance and was now healing Weiss.

"...What is this?" Qrow hesitantly said, as he tried to get back up. He then looked up at Hazel, and sarcastically added, "Is this 'Your Grace's' doing?"

Hazel did not answer, as he narrowed his eyes at the rift. He, like many of Salem's other subordinates, have known the Grimm Queen for a very long time. Throughout it all, Hazel had witnessed Salem do many things, a few that he once thought were impossible to accomplish.

This rift was not one of those feats.

Along side him, 'Ozpin' looked at the rift with deep concern. The former headmaster had lived for a _very_ long time on Remnant. He had witnessed and done a lot of supernatural things for over hundreds of years. The rift that he was seeing right now did not surprised him. But, as said before, he was concern.

" _Ozpin... what's going on?_ " Oscar said within his mind-scape.

'Ozpin' was silent for a few moments, before murmuring, "I.. don't know."

Off to the side, Ruby, Yang, Mercury, and Emerald were wondering where did the rift came from; while each duo were keeping an eye on one another, since they were all wide open to get hit.

 _This is definitely not my mother_ , Yang thought, her eyes narrowing. She knew her mother, Raven, was still down in the Vault. There was no way her mother would waste her Semblance just to get back on ground level. _Besides, the color she uses for her portals is not blue._

While Yang was suspicious on who would form this rift, her younger half-sister Ruby was skeptical. Other than the fact that the bad guys were trying to get the Relic before her friends did, the silver eyed girl didn't know what was going on. Basically, she was at a loss.

"Well, this is unexpected," Mercury said, his tone showing slight annoyance. Emerald looked at her partner for a moment, before looking back at the rift. Unlike Mercury, Emerald was curious. Similar to what Hazel was thinking, the thief couldn't remember something like this popping up out of nowhere; besides Raven's semblance of course. She wondered.. who made this?

Above the entrance to the Vault, Lionheart could only cowardly stare at the dark abyss that was from the rift. The aura it was implementing sent shivers down his spine. It was only a short time after he made his allegiance to Salem, and throughout that time he had seen a lot of scary things the woman could do. He could only guess that this was another one of those things.

Right off to the side of the entrance to the Vault, Nora and Jaune were wondering the same thing the rest of the teenagers were thinking.

Surprisingly, Nora was a bit disturbed by this unannounced entrance. Like everyone else, she didn't know who made it or where it was coming from. But she was feeling uncertain of what the rift actually was. She then looked at Ren, who was looking back at her. She noticed that he too was a bit disturbed by the rift. Momentarily, they both nodded in understanding.

Jaune was the same. However, unlike everyone else, he was also conflicted. He was in the midst of healing his friend when this rift abruptly showed up. _It's like everything is happening all at once!,_ he thought, now feeling a bit frantic.

"J-Jaune?"

Said boy quickly looked down and noticed Weiss slowly waking up. "Weiss!" Jaune shouted, his tone filled with relief and happiness. Nora, nearby, also noticed what was happening and smiled.

"Jaune... what's happening?" Weiss asked, her voice barely noticeable.

"You took a heavy hit. I'm recovering you right now,... but something's going on," Jaune explained, as he looked back at the rift.

"What are you... talking about?" Weiss asked again.

But before Jaune could answer back, loud footsteps were suddenly heard from within the rift. Everyone quickly got their guard up, as a silhouette of a very large figure was now seen coming closer to the rift.

What, or more specifically _**who** , _came out sent cold shivers down in everyone's spines, including Weiss.

Stepping out from the dark blue rift was a very tall male being; much taller than Hazel. His skin had a purplish violet color and his eye pupils were pitch black; with a small tint of a blue glow around the edges of his eyes. All over his body, was a full suit of golden-black armor; with the addition of a golden helmet with a symmetrical shape and golden-black arm braces.

Everyone was amazed by the male being's outfit. But what was the most interesting feature came from within his left hand.

In his left hand, was a golden gauntlet. In his gauntlet were, what looked like, six colored glowing stones embedded within.

In his thumb, was an green stone.

In his index finger, was a purple stone.

In his middle finger, was a blue stone.

In his ring finger, was a red stone.

In his pinky finger, was an orange stone.

And in the back of his palm, was a yellow stone.

While everyone was at awe by the being's appearance, they also noticed the blue rift started to collapse on itself and shortly disappear.

Silence now filled the room, thus allowing everyone to get some time to collect their thoughts.

Everyone was basically now wondering who this male being was. He did not look human, or a faunas, or most certainly not a Grimm. So, this being was a mystery to them.

However, there was one person that had more views than the others.

When 'Ozpin' noticed the six stones imbedded in the being's gauntlet, a rare feeling quickly crept up on him:

Fear.

The power that the cursed immortal soul felt from within the stones was beyond what he had imagined. **The stones were even more powerful than Salem alone...**

 _How in Remnant is this being capable of controlling such an unimaginable power?_ , 'Ozpin' thought.

" _O-Ozpin...?_ " Oscar said, his voice trembling. With an immortal soul merged within his body, he too can feel the infinite power from within all six stones. 'Ozpin' did not answer, not knowing that his mouth hang slightly open.

While everyone was wondering what and who this being was, the being himself was thinking of other things.

Before he entered this room through the rift, which only he had created with the Space Stone, the being was at a faraway place. No one on this planet knew where he came from; which didn't matter to him at all.

He noticed the looks the people in the room were giving him. None of them faze him. He always remembered getting these reactions every so often. It almost felt... natural to him.

But there was one thing that did peak the being's interest.

He noticed that one of the humans, a female girl with white hair, was lying on the ground. He looked closely, and found there was a big enough spot of red drenched in the torso of her outfit. There was also the look on her face. Hey eyes scrunched up and her lips were down.

She looked... annoyed.

The Mad Titan frowned.

But not of pity or disappointment.

But of sadness.

Then his lips momentarily quiver back up. He reminded himself that it wasn't the time for him to feel emotional.

No...

Thanos had a job to do.

"Where is the Relic?" the Mad Titan announced to the Huntsmen and Huntresses.

His deep, calm, demanding voice once again sent shivers down everyone's spines; especially Lionheart's. However, his bold statement did put everyone's guard up even more; as they all tighten their grip on their weapons... or fists...

"Are you working for Salem?" Qrow asked back, as he finally got off from the ground. He did believe that the large being was not part of the Grimm Queen's inner circle. But, it didn't hurt to ask.

However, everyone was surprised by how the Mad Titan knew about a very secretive piece of Remnant history; especially that they were the source that kept the entire world in order.

For someone who has also lived for hundreds of years, it was simple. With the knowledge that he was given throughout his life, especially now at this time of age, Thanos was quite intrigued by the history of this planet.

The wars between humanity, the faunas, and the Grimm...

The creations of supernatural beings and artifacts that are now told as fairy tales...

Even, the Brothers themselves...

And one of their creations was just a few yards away...

"Salem..." Thanos called out, and then said, "So that's the one who leads the Grimm... How fetching."

"Well, when you put her that way, that does make a good description," Qrow replied. He then demanded, "Now, are you working for Salem or not!?"

The Mad Titan remain calm by the dusty old crow's outburst. This wasn't the first time he was yelled at; or forced, or demanded, or even betrayed. Nevertheless, he would always reply back.

"I work for no one, but myself," Thanos finally answered.

"Then, who are you?" Hazel spoke up for the first time in a while. Like Qrow, he was pretty sure that the alien was not part of his grace's inner circle; for example, he never remembered the Mad Titan being in one of their meetings.

It was then that Thanos frowned slightly, this time of disappointment. "It seems that I'm not very well known in this part of the universe... You can call me.. Thanos," he introduced himself out loud, surprising everyone yet again.

 _H-HE'S AN ALIEN!?_ , Ruby mentally screamed. Normally, she would find that very cool. Ever since her journey to Haven, Ruby Rose and the rest of Team RNJR have experienced a lot of strange things, especially when her uncle told them about the Maidens and the Relics. Now these days though, whenever she found out about something that was as powerful as the fairy tales she was once told, Ruby would not take these kind of secrets as lightly as before.

It can be said for the rest of the teenaged Huntsmen and Huntresses, as well. Yang, Jaune, Nora, Ren, Mercury, Emerald, and Oscar were completely astounded by this unbelievable fact. To think that a person from out of this world would set foot on Remnant, and thus also knowing about the secrets of the planet as well! It was literally crazy for them!

Weiss would've been shocked, as well. But, she was still not feeling good.

Hazel, Qrow, 'Ozpin', and surprisingly Lionheart, however, were only slightly surprised. They were all sort of use to these strange incidents throughout their livelihoods.

"Okay,... Thanos. If your not working for Salem, then how do you know about the Relics?" 'Ozpin' step forward; who finally calmed down and recomposed himself.

Thanos looked over toward the boy and noticed something very strange about him. His personality felt mature... and wise; which something that he knew was very unheard of for a boy at his age.

The Mad Titan was suspicious.

Without a second thought, Thanos then used a very small portion of the Mind Stone's power; allowing him to get into the boy's mind undetected. As he did so, the yellow stone, that was on the back of his palm, began to glow vividly.

The Mad Titan quickly found that something was off about the boy... but also yet familiar. He noticed, within Oscar's mind, was another source of energy. The difference between Oscar's Aura and the unidentifiable one was too great for him to believe that they were one in the same.

And so, Thanos dig deeper.

The Mad Titan switched from the Mind Stone to the Soul Stone; thus resulting the glow from the yellow stone to shimmer and the glow from the orange stone to brighten. With the Soul Stone, Thanos had the ability to look into one's soul. And certainly, what he found was not one, but two souls inside the boy...

 _So that's where you are. You must've been reincarnated,_ Thanos thought.

While he was searching, someone noticed the effects within his gauntlet. Yang Xiao Long had noticed the glowing effects from two of the Infinity Stones; thus making her curious. "What is he doing?" she silently muttered. She, like everyone else, were oblivious to the abilities the Infinity Gauntlet had performed. But just the glow the stones were putting off, was making the girl feel uncomfortable.

"Well...," 'Ozpin' said, slowly growing impatient.

Finally, Thanos gave the former Headmaster his answer, and what he said once again shocked everybody:

" **Your not the only one cursed with knowledge, Ozpin... Or should I say... _Ozma._** "

The looks on their faces gave the Mad Titan enough time to make his first move.

With just a clench of his fist, the Space Stone activates in his gauntlet. He swings his fist down to the ground; creating a huge shockwave.

* * *

 ***rumble** *

"What was that?"

"Probably Hazel smashing that boy to pieces."

"Let's hope he doesn't destroy this place while we're at it."

"Everything will be fine. He'll never do that to us."

* * *

Everyone was instantly sent far back and slammed into the walls of the room. Everyone, except one.

Thanos noticed that Hazel was still standing; having just enough strength to keep himself on his feet, but also noticed that Hazel was dazed by the effects of the Space Stone. With quick reflexes, the Mad Titan switched to his Power Stone and thrust his gauntlet. As he did so, a bright purple beam burst out of the Power Stone. Hazel barely had time to noticed the purple beam coming straight at him.

But he was too late to dodge.

The purple beam made a direct hit on the large man's chest; sending him back and straight through a pillar behind. He can already feel the raw energy that came from the Power Stone before he hit the ground. It was tremendous... and very painful. Never did Hazel thought that he would feel pain with his Semblance on. But yet, he did... and he didn't like it one bit. That was the last thing he thought before he blacked out.

Thanos deactivates his Power Stone and slowly gets back on his feet. He looks around the room to admire his work.

All the heroes, villains, young, and old were incapacitated in a span of a few seconds. With a little help of the Soul Stone once again, he can feel their Auras still active; so he knew they weren't seriously hurt. It wasn't his best suit to leave people alive, but nonetheless at the moment it was appropriate. He didn't really see them as a threat... yet.

"You may be wondering, 'How do I know you?'," Thanos called out, as he then turn and slowly approached towards the unconscious body of Oscar, "Isn't it obvious? I have lived for as long as you have; much longer, in fact. I have watched the birth of your world from the tiniest space rock that came into this solar system. I have witnessed the Brothers creating the very factors that exist to this day; Humans, Faunas, Dust, and even Grimm... I never met them actually. But, I very well know the curse that they put on you; destined to bring down the very force that leads the horrors of Remnant itself. However,... time and time again, you fail..., you die..., and you reincarnate."

The Mad Titan paused for a moment, as he had just reached Oscar's body. He looks down at the boy and frowns in dissatisfaction. He may have said this before, but the situation he knew the immortal soul was in made it so accurately, "I know what it's like to lose. To feel so desperately that you're right; yet to fail, nonetheless. It's frightening; turns the legs to jelly. I ask you to what end? Dread it. Run from it. Destiny arrives; all the same." He then paused again. He realized the meaning at the end of his statement didn't make much sense. So, this time, he decided to change things up a little. He continued, while looking at his gauntlet, "There are times where destiny does not always revolve around death. No... There are times where destiny revolves around achieving your goals. Same as yours; I had that destiny for a very long time. Sadly...," Thanos looks away from his gauntlet and back down at the boy, "...not everyone can achieve their destiny. You are clearly one of them."

" _...How do you know I can't achieve my destiny?_ " 'Ozpin' suddenly said; his voice surprisingly heardable to the Mad Titan.

"Becuase you are fighting a war that you cannot win," Thanos plainly answered.

"J-Jaune.. are you... s-still there?"

The Mad Titan turned to his left and noticed one person that was still awake. The girl with the long white hair was still lying on the ground; barely conscious from the pain she was still going through. Earlier, before he took action on the rest of the people in the room, Thanos noticed that the girl had a white aquatic-like shield around her body. He also noticed that the boy with the short blonde hair had his hands on her wound. From his sharp eyesight, he had seen the blood from the wound slowly receding.

Thanos realized that the boy was healing her wound.

But now the boy was not there to help her, and he could see the girl's wound back to its original state; the blood spreading once more.

A small shadow cast over the Mad Titan's eyes, as his frown was filled with neglect. He never wanted the girl to suffer more. From the first look in her eyes, Thanos could tell that she had already been through enough. But he also knew that the torment wasn't only from what she went through here; she had also experienced something similar for a long while now. Even though the Mad Titan doesn't know exactly what the girl had experienced throughout her life, Thanos did know that she needed someone to help her.

That's when he made his choice.

The Mad Titan turn around and started heading towards the down girl.

" _W-What are you doing?_ " 'Ozpin' called out, but his words were ignored. Like Thanos, the immortal soul was concerned about Weiss' wellbeing. He had witnessed the pain and agony she suffered when Cinder impaled the former heiress. He was earlier hopeful that Jaune would heal her up. Now that he was knocked out, that concern came back to him.

But, unlike Thanos, the immortal soul was very worried of what would happen next. " _Please, don't hurt her! Can't you see that she has been through enough!?_ " 'Ozpin' yelled.

"I know that," Thanos instantly replied back in a surprisingly somber tone.

'Ozpin' was a bit shocked to hear the Mad Titan speak in this way. It was only for a short while, but every time the headmaster heard Thanos' voice, it was always in a mix of calm, demanding, wise, and a little sinister; very much like how he remembered Salem would normally speak. Now, it was just filled with sadness.

He wondered... why?

Before he could theorize his answer, the immortal soul had noticed the Mad Titan kneeling down in front of Weiss.

"What's wrong, little one?" Thanos called out to her. Weiss could barely hear what the Mad Titan was saying, and she could barely see what was going on. However, as time went on, her hearing and vision were very slowly fading; thus making it very difficult for her to speak or move...

"I... can't.. feel... my h-h-hands," she hoarsely whispered.

Her alarming tone made the Mad Titan frown even more. He knew the girl was desperate to stay alive. But despite this, Thanos noticed that the condition within her body was worsening significantly; her skin very pale and the blood slowly spreading throughout her stomach. He knew he had to make a move right now, or else... she wasn't going to make it.

With no seconds to spare, the Mad Titan went to work. Moving his gauntlet up to Weiss's wound, Thanos activated the Time Stone; the green stone on his thumb glowing in effect. Within seconds, the blood that was leaked out went back into the girl's wound, her skin was brighten up back to its original color, and then the wound itself was closed in.

Throughout it all, Weiss herself instantly felt this fiery, bubbly tingling in her chest. The feeling was so intense, that it made her want to scream in agony. But strangely, that did not happen. Instead, the intense feeling was strong enough to push her into a deep slumber. Not like a comatose state; but the intensity was enough for her to pass out...

Thanos deactivates the Time Stone, noticing that the girl's wound was finally healed, and looks down at the now sleeping child. Her face alone was enough to make the Mad Titan's lips momentarily curve up, "Rest now, child. Your fight here is over."

" _Why did you do that?_ " 'Ozpin' suddenly called out. When the former headmaster saw what Thanos had done, he was... confused. At first, he thought that he was going to kill Weiss. But instead, Thanos saved her. 'Ozpin' could easily feel the dark nihilistic atmosphere surrounding the large alien's body. So seeing him heal Weiss's wound, after he just knocked out everyone in the room, was a little weird to him.

The Mad Titan looks back at the unconscious boy and stands back up. He honestly wanted to tell him why he saved the girl. But as he was about to, old memories resurfaced in his mind; making the Mad Titan frown in guilt. He slowly looks back at his full-stoned Infinity Gauntlet, as more, deeper memories resurfaced.

 _Little One..._

Thanos breathes out through his nose.

He looks away from his gauntlet and, instead of looking back at 'Ozpin', looks at the opening large hole near below the balcony. He had felt, for a while now, two more Auras located way below ground level; much, _much_ stronger than the ones up here. He had also felt a third Aura, but just recently, it had depleted rapidly. He could easily tell that something strange was going on down there. But, he did also notice that the two active Auras had a power source that were very familiar to him.

It almost made him grin with excitement. Not because he wanted to fight them, but because he knew they were the 'key' that would unlock the path towards the ancient artifact that he originally was here for.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, Thanos headed towards the edge and jumped down through the entrance to the Vault.

And just like that, silence filled the room once more.

* * *

Raven Branwen was not having a good day...

It all started a couple of weeks ago at her old campsite; where her tribe was stationed at. They had some... 'unexpected' guests arrive at their front doorstep; and, unlike most people, she always would not be happy with guests; especially the ones that came to her on that specific day.

Salem's followers had 'mysteriously' found her tribe's campsite and planned an unexpected gathering with her. However, they weren't there to kill her. They were actually there to create a temporary alliance with her... well, originally, it wasn't that at all.

Led by Cinder Fall, she, Emerald, Mercury, and another of Salem's subordinates, Dr. Arthur Watts, were here to collect the Spring Maiden; so that she can unlock the Relic inside Haven Academy. Raven and her own subordinate, Vernal, wanted no part in the matter. But, the tribe leader knew what Salem was capable of.

So, Raven struck a deal with them: They would help Cinder obtain the Relic of Knowledge on the condition that she would kill her brother; Qrow. Why would she kill her own brother? Basically, it's becuase that Qrow did not follow the same path that she wanted him to follow and this led to her disliking him... a lot.

However, after the deal was made, Raven knew that they couldn't be trusted; specifically Cinder herself. So she came up with a plan of her own: take the Relic for her tribe and use it for her own misdeeds. Simple as that.

Two weeks past and the Battle of Haven had begun. Everything, from the beginning, went smoothly for her.

She helped Cinder and her allies enter the school...

She got to fight, and disown, her own brother...

She even learned that Ozpin was still alive...

It was just like the old days; days that she now despised.

All the fighting and chaos that was going on around Raven, was enough for her, Vernal, and Cinder to sneak into the Vault; with a little help from the Headmaster himself, of course.

It was a sight to behold, once they got down there. A long stone bridge cross over the dark abyss below, as it led to a large glowing blossom tree; covered with orange glowing petals that were seen above the dim cavern. Below the branches, rested a large wide double door, with an artistic symmetrical design, within the tree's trunk.

It had all been led to this moment; after hundreds of years, one of the Relics of Remnant would finally be unlocked...

And that was when everything went to hell.

When Vernal was nearing the doors to the Vault, Cinder double crossed the two tribe women by freezing Raven into a block of ice and impaling her Grimm arm through Vernal; so that she can absorb the Spring Maiden's powers for her own goals.

Normally, at that moment, Raven and her subordinate would've already lost. But, that wouldn't be the case.

Turns out; Vernal wasn't the Spring Maiden at all. In fact, Vernal was actually a decoy; so that the _real_ Spring Maiden would be kept secret from the rest of the world.

And the _real_ Spring Maiden was none other than Raven herself.

Now, the tribe leader was staring down at Cinder; who was flabbergasted by the new revelation that Raven had just shown her. Vernal was lying on the ground, her body motionless by the torture she had just endured.

All the while, Raven was infuriated. As she thought before, the tribe leader knew that Cinder, or any of Salem's followers, couldn't be trusted. She also had figured that something like this would happen. But, no matter the circumstances, Raven was still one step ahead of them.

...Deep down, though, she never wanted Vernal to be involved in this. She was one of her most trusted allies within the tribe. So seeing her get hurt by the witch, made her blood boil in rage. But still, what choice did she had? Vernal was her decoy; so she had to come with them; otherwise, if her secret was known to Cinder earlier on, then things would've become more complicated for her.

Nevertheless, this was the choice that Raven had made;... and look at where it got her.

"Vernal was a decoy the whole time," Cinder realized; turning her head to the real Spring Maiden. Like Raven, Cinder would never trust anyone; with the exception to those that closely follow her or Salem. So, she did expect her plans with the tribe leader to not work out well... but she did not expect the little twist at the end. Despite the small setback, however, she still knew her goal was in front of her.

There was one thing that Cinder always strived for: **Power**. She wanted to be one of the most powerful individuals known to man; and her goal finally came into fruition when she stoled the power of the Fall Maiden. But, she knew there was a deeper meaning to having power.

With power; came fear.

With fear; came chaos.

She dreadfully wanted that; oh, so much.

She just has to obtain it first... But it was going to be a lot harder now.

"The last Spring Maiden must've trusted you a great deal to you before she died," Cinder continued, "I bet that was a mistake."

Raven growls in anger at her comment. The tribe leader really wanted to slit the woman's throat at that moment.

But, before she could make her first move, a unexpected guest made theirs.

 ** _THWMP!_**

Suddenly, a loud boom was heard from the entrance of the Vault; resulting in both women directing their attention to the source. Both noticed a large dust cloud had formed from whoever made their surprised entrance. Both women couldn't tell who entered the Vault, but they did noticed a shadow of a large male figure standing right up from a kneeling position.

Both women, at first, guessed the man entering the Vault was Hazel; since they knew there was no other person in the school that was tall as him. However, that was not the case.

As the dust slowly cleared, Cinder and Raven found themselves staring at a being that was not from their world...

It didn't take long for Thanos to make his way down to the Vault. It was a steep drop, but it didn't cause any problems for the Mad Titan. But as he came closer to his next destination, he could feel more of the raw energy seeping from the two women that stood before him.

He felt something else, though; something that was much greater and more pure than the women's mystical powers. He felt the greater source of energy all packed into a small, tight state far behind the two women, and behind the large double doors that he had just noticed.

Thanos realized what it was.

 _No need to ask the same question anymore,_ he thought.

The Mad Titan then directed his eyes towards the two Maidens. They both were an interesting pair, but he could tell they weren't as bright as a few people he had met upstairs. He can see the power leaking from their eyes... that alone almost made things feel marvelous to him.

He then looks to their side and sees another woman lying dead on the floor. Her corpse ruined his mood. _You save one life for another,_ he repeated an old phrase.

"You know, throughout my time here, it always seems to me that I'm interrupting something important," Thanos started, as he begins walking toward the two Maidens, "But, that is a matter that I do not take seriously."

His deep, commanding voice didn't seem to faze Raven and Cinder that much; but it did brought them out of their shocking state. Just like everyone else above, they were wondering who Thanos was. They both could tell he was neither any of the species that lived on Remnant. So, they were both a bit curious on what the Mad Titan is.

Nevertheless, they both focused on the main issue: why was he here?

"It seems like your new around here," Cinder said, as she walked past Raven and stood in front.

Thanos stopped in his tracks and looks directly at the Fall Maiden. "That I am," he simply replied.

"Who are you?" Raven called out.

The Mad Titan then looks at the Spring Maiden. It was the same question the people above had asked him. It was now obvious to Thanos that nobody on Remnant knew who he was. He knew he wasn't going to stay here very long, but that didn't mean he can make a name for himself. "Like the Fall Maiden said, I am not from around here," Thanos answered.

The Mad Titan's comment made Cinder's eyes narrow. "Then you know who I am?" she said back.

"Yes; more specifically your titles. Not your names," Thanos pointed out; frowning. He can easily tell how Cinder was feeling at the moment; and he was right. Cinder was not in a very good mood; same as Raven. They theoretically both had been backstabbed by each other. So, when he'd entered the Vault, the Mad Titan could see that a fight between the two women was imminent.

And if he was gonna get caught in the crossfire, then so be it.

It was at that moment that Thanos caught sight of the Fall Maiden's creepiest feature. While most of her body had a normal skin color, her left arm was pitched black; the limb smoking with a very dark, shallow, black mist. While Cinder's Grimm arm did not faze the Mad Titan, it did interest him. He had learned a lot about Remnant's history; but never did he recall about anyone having a limb mixed with Grimm. It felt impossible...

But, as he learned long ago, nothing is impossible.

"However," Thanos broke the small moment of silence, as he looks away from Cinder's limb and back at her leaking eye, "from the way your body has been treated, I believe you are working for Salem."

"What's it to you?" Raven sneered in Cinder's place. She never liked it when that name was spoken.

"Nothing," Thanos quickly answered, "I do not work for the one who leads the Grimm; if that's what your thinking," he paused for a moment, and narrowed his eyes, "But, I do know her motives; same as Ozpin's."

It was then that the Fall Maiden conjured a long fire-glowing sword in her normal arm. "Then, are you here to kill me?" Cinder glared; teeth clenching in anger.

"No," Thanos replied back. He then looked past the two Maidens and straight at the large double doors. "Because there's no need to."

Cinder and Raven were a bit confused by the Mad Titan's statement, before noticing that he was not looking at them anymore. They followed his gaze towards the door and quickly connected the dots.

Before they could say anything, Thanos spoken once more. "Such beauty, isn't she?" he began, as the two Maidens look back at him, "To find a secret unknown to the world, and yet it has a majestic look that makes you want to sit down and look at it until your dying breath... It's ironic. But, on the contrary, it makes sense. What makes something so beautiful, can have a drastic effect inside. Every living thing has a source that makes it alive. Once you pull that out, it starts to wither and rot...; until there's nothing left but ashes."

Cinder and Raven knew what he was talking about. However, unlike the tribe leader, Cinder was also amazed by the way the Mad Titan explained it. He was as wise as her master; if not as wise as Ozpin, as well. She would have praised Thanos for his dark meaningful words... but he was not her ally.

"I understand what you mean," Cinder agreed, making Raven look at her, "But there is one thing I don't get." She then begins walking toward the Mad Titan; with Raven and said alien watching closely. They both could see that her makeshift sword was still in her normal arm; so they both knew Cinder would not take things lightly. Several moments passed, until the Fall Maiden stopped right in front of the Mad Titan. "Why do you need the Relics? Is it for Power? Revenge? Or, better yet, is it something that you just want to keep for yourself?"

Thanos was silent; as he looked down at Cinder Fall's grin. He can already tell that she was a bit wise herself; but not as wise as the immortal soul. However, there was also a bit of deception in her voice. She wanted to get to know him more and possibly falsely persuade him into joining **her** side.

Like that would ever happen. Thanos may be a bit of a trickster; but he doesn't like _being_ tricked.

"Neither," the Mad Titan responded; thus dropping the grin on Cinder's face and slightly surprising her. He continues, while walking past her and Raven, "I am not a collector; nor am I conqueror. In fact, I'm a survivor. You see, Fall Maiden, I am not here to claim what is rightfully mine. I am here to grab a piece of a puzzle; that I once thought was much smaller. That puzzle is my quest for not vengeance or power, but my destiny."

"Your destiny?" Raven sarcastically repeated; which the Mad Titan paid no mind to.

"Very," Thanos answered, as he stopped behind the two Maidens and in front of the large double doors, "This universe is bigger than you two alone can ever imagine. There's a problem with it; a problem that I, and only I, can fix."

As he said his latest statement, much like everyone above, Cinder and Raven were left shocked. This helped them a lot as to what the Mad Titan was. It also creeped them out a bit.

His skin...

His size...

His armor...

All of it screamed 'ALIEN'. But that was only the beginning...

"...And what's that problem?" Cinder hesitantly asked; as she recompose herself.

"Overpopulation," Thanos answered; without turning his head back, "Every world is born with resources. These resources are capable for many things; food, water, shelter, and most importantly life... Mortals thrive on resources. It helps them survive and reproduce. Without it, they face extinction," he pauses for a moment; looking up at the large tree that glowed before him, "Sadly, there is one flaw to resources. It's finite. One planet contains so much of it, and yet mortals are careless about containing their purpose to survive. That's when the balance tips. Mortals rise; resources fall. Problems are then formed, and then conflict strikes." He then finishes up, while clenching his Infinity Gauntlet in anger, "Then the conflict stops, and what remains are the ones who suffer the most: the survivors."

There was a long moment of silence that filled the chamber.

The two Maidens were again surprised by the Mad Titan's words. His explanation about the universe had a lot of realism. It almost gave them this bad vibe about the world around them.

Almost.

Unknown to each other, Cinder and Raven had to go through many struggles throughout most of their lives. It wasn't easy for Cinder Fall to join Salem's inner circle; the tasks that she had to complete, especially with her most recent one. It wasn't easy for Raven Branwen to survive within her tribe; let alone to eventually become their leader and, most recently, the Spring Maiden. They both were used to the horrors of Remnant.

"That is one thing that I do not like about Remnant," Thanos announced, pushing the Maidens out of their thoughts. They noticed the Mad Titan had just turned around to face them, "It's the fact that the civilizations have yet to fully develop. From the earliest recordings, humanity and faunas have fought the Grimm to this day. Dust may have been a factor into maintaining the Grimm.. and build their roots. But, it'll only be a matter of time before they run out." Thanos turned his direct attention back to Cinder; his eyes narrowing a little, "I don't mean to criticize your master, Fall Maiden; but I see no doubt into telling you what she has done so far."

This made Cinder and Raven a bit curious into what the Mad Titan had to say next; more so for Cinder, becuase she never liked anyone criticizing her Grace. That thought alone made her good eye narrow in annoyance; her pupil glowing from the great power she held.

"Salem's way of balancing this world is incorrect and immoral," Thanos began, "Her only goal is to eradicate all life; plain and simple. But when the deed is done, who will use Remnant's resources? Grimm can't use them, because they have no soul. There will be no one else to claim this world; unless your happening to visit this planet from space. Besides the fact, no matter what your master will do, Remnant will be left unchecked. This planet, and many others, needs correcting."

Power was once again leaking from Cinder's good eye. She was now furious. The Mad Titan's words had pushed all of her buttons. _How dare you...,_ she thought; gritting her teeth. She could barely restrained herself from attacking Thanos.

Raven, however, was feeling different. For a moment, she praised the Mad Titan for insulting the Grimm Queen. Like him, Raven despised Salem... Basically, she was never fond of anyone but her tribe; especially the Grimm.

"That is why I am here," Thanos began his conclusion, "The Relics of Remnant are a piece that I need to balance the universe. Without them, I won't get anything done."

"Do you even know what the Relics are capable of doing?" Cinder instantly talked back, her voice filled with fury. More power was leaking from her good eye.

Thanos frowned. He could tell there was a lot of tension within the Fall Maiden; a feeling that he expected when he criticized her master. However, just like with the dusty old crow, Cinder's anger did not bother the Mad Titan. "I do," he answered, "Choice, Creation, Destruction," he momentarily looks back at the glowing tree, "and Knowledge. Each Relic contains a specific ability; a last gift left behind by the Brothers." He once again raises his Infinity Gauntlet to his face, "May not be efficient as to what I have now, but it is still very useful."

"You don't say," Raven rolled her eyes, her hands placed on her hips.

Thanos looks away from his gauntlet and towards the tribe leader, "There is a catch, however. In order to obtain a Relic, one must first unlock it. But only one person is capable of pulling off such a feat; and I know who."

It was now Raven's turn to glare. She already knew what the Mad Titan was referring towards; there were too many hints that he pointed out.

"I don't mind if you lend me a hand on unlocking the Relic of Knowledge, Spring Maiden," Thanos continued. He then narrowed his eyes more, "But, I don't think you are willing to do that for me. I have already sensed that you two are planning on taking the Relic for your own."

"You are correct," Raven answered. It was then that the Spring Maiden conjured an ice sword in her right hand; her eyes leaking in a red glow. Cinder had also transfused her fire sword into a double-edge sword; her good eye leaking in an orange glow.

"I do not intend on fighting you two," Thanos said. As to warn them, he then clenches his Infinity Gauntlet; all six Infinity Stones glowing in effect, "Know this: **If you strike me now, then there will be the possibility that only one of us will make it out of here alive.** "

That warning, for the first time, sent shivers down the Maiden's spines. But, nevertheless, the two still held their ground.

"I'll take my chances," Raven and Cinder both said in sync.

It was then, at that moment, that the battle between the Fall Maiden, the Spring Maiden, and the Mad Titan had begun.

* * *

 **Okay, two-parter! To be honest, I did not expect this to be _this_ long... :(**

 **But, I did got a lot covered. So, there's that.**

 **You guys may be wondering a few key questions like 'What the hell is going on!?'**

 **Well, I'll answer them right here:**

 **1.) Q: When does this story take place?**

 **An: Well, if you know RWBY, this takes place near the end of Volume 5; around episodes 12 and 13. But for the MCU,... you already saw a hint in my first trailer; this takes place after "Avengers: Infinity War".**

 **Which now leads to the second question:**

 **2.) Q: Since this story is set after "Avengers: Infinity War", then why can't Thanos just snap his fingers?**

 **An: Simple really: He can't; not on a major scale. There's a reason for this; which will be fully explored in the main story.**

 **3.) Q: Why did Thanos save Weiss?**

 **An: Because Weiss reminded Thanos of his adopted daughter Gamora; which you all know by now what happen to her... :(**

 **4.) Q: Who were the two voices in the beginning?**

 **An: First off; it's not the Black Order (RIP). One of them is an OC; while the other is a familar Anime villain.**

 **That's all I have, for now. I really want to get to the 'emotional' part of this prequel, but I guess that's going to be saved for the second half, as well.**

 **I hope you guys like the first half; leave a review if you did. Let me know what you guys think on how well I portrayed Thanos' character.**

 **And I hope to see you all on the second half.**

 **See ya later, everyone!**


	2. Run From It

**Here is the second half! _This_ is where things get emotional! So, you should literally hang on to your butts this time...**

 **Here we go!**

 **P.S.: Kudos to Insane Dominator and Tobi Yaza for beta reading this chapter. Very much appreciated.**

* * *

" **Choice, Creation, Destruction, and Knowledge.** **Each Relic contains a specific ability; a last gift left behind by the Brothers.** **May not be efficient as to what I have now, but it is still very useful.** "

"You don't say."

" **There is a catch, however. In order to obtain a Relic, one must first unlock it. But only one person is capable of pulling off such a feat; and I know who.** **I don't mind if you lend me a hand on unlocking the Relic of Knowledge, Spring Maiden.** **But, I don't think you are willing to do that for me. I have already sensed that you two are planning on taking the Relic for your own.** "

"You are correct."

" **I do not intend on fighting you two.** **Know this: _If you strike me now, then there will be the possibility that only one of us will make it out of here alive._** "

" _I'll take my chances._ "

* * *

Blake Belladonna had done it.

After years of nihilistic hatred, years of absurd terrorism, years of uncivil violence, it would finally be put to rest: The White Fang was going back to its roots; and the feline faunus had planned it all with her family in the past few months.

It wasn't easy, though. Blake had to go through a lot to get to this point; and it all started with the Fall of Beacon. It was an incident that she truly wanted to forget, but the events that she had witnessed and taken part of still lingered in her mind...

The Grimm invading...

Beacon's tower getting destroyed...

The White Fang causing havoc on the school grounds...

The loss of her friends...

It was all too much for her. Because of those events, Blake did the one thing that she was born to do: she ran.

The days that followed changed the feline faunas. She began to be more cautious, coldhearted, and even arrogant. Looking at those days now, made Blake feel guilty and regretful; especially how she treated one of her closest friends.

That friend of hers, Sun Wukong, had followed her. He wanted to know why she left her team. In the beginning, she didn't tell him. However, she did told him where she was going; and despite telling him, Sun had already decided to stay with her.

Blake went back to her birthplace: Menagerie. There, she reunited with her parents.

But the heartwarming reunion did not last very long, as informants to the White Fang arrived at her home. It seemed that wherever she went, her past would always follow. She was, however, still happy to see her parents again. It had been a very long time since she last saw their warm faces.

It did not change the fact to where she was currently.

An incident had followed when Blake and Sun encountered a White Fang spy near their house. It sadden the feline faunas to find out who the spy was; Ilia Amitola, an old friend of hers. After Ilia injured Sun, that was when she finally told him why she left her team: Blake didn't want to put her friends in danger...

...That was what she once thought about.

Sun scolded her; because of this. He told her that pushing her friends away would only make things worse... and that was enough to help her change her ways.

During their first encounter with Ilia, they had managed to grab important intel off of her, and what they found was horrifying. The White Fang would be staging a coup d'tat on their leader and plan an attack on Haven Academy.

That was where Blake had decided.

No more running.

No more hiding.

It was time for her to finally take action and stand up for what she believed in... she was going to take back what was once hers.

And it had all led to this.

With the help of her parents, Sun, and eventually Ilia and the majority of Menagerie (the latter two was a whole other story), Blake was able to make it in time to stop the White Fang from destroying Haven. The united forces of Menagerie and the police of Mistral were now surrounding the White Fang; the bombs they placed all around the school were disarmed by Ilia.

"I told you, Adam. It's over...," Blake glared at her former comrade and now current leader of the White Fang; who had just tried to blow up the whole school with everyone in the blast radius.

She can easily tell Adam Taurus was furious. His plans were falling apart right in front of everybody; and that simply was just an embarrassment for him. He had every intent to kill her, right now...

But she was definitely not going to let that happen.

 ***rumble** *

Out of nowhere, the ground beneath them began to shake. She and many others were able to stay on their feet, while some had toppled onto each other.

The tremor lessen and then it was gone.

Blake lowered her eyebrows; suspicious. This wasn't the first time she felt this. The tremors were ongoing; ever since she arrived. The one that had just gone off felt more violent than any of the others.

Like her, Adam too was suspicious. He swiftly turn his head back towards the closed entrance of Haven. "What's going on in there!?" Adam called out in annoyance. Blake a while back found out that he was working for someone. She didn't know who, but she can already tell that Adam's informant was not a good person.

Silence was the only answer for Adam's call; thus making the bull faunas even more annoyed.

Blake, however, was on high alert. In all her years in the White Fang,...

...she knew silence was the best type of death.

 _ **BOOM!**_

Suddenly, everyone outside heard an explosion rumbling inside the school.

Blake first thought that Ilia had not found all of the bombs. But then she realized that this was a different type of explosion. The sound that she felt wasn't a high pitch; the sound was much lower than that.

Then, a few moments after the loud boom was heard, everyone noticed a projectile smashing through the front doors... that was what almost everyone first thought.

But to Blake, her parents, Adam, Sun, and even Ilia, they noticed that it wasn't a projectile at all.

It was a human being.

And, it was someone that Blake had known since her first day at Beacon...

" _YANG!_ "

* * *

 **Much, much earlier...**

* * *

 **Somewhere in Atlas...**

Cold.

That is the only thing a human/faunas being can feel when they step outdoors, and that is the only thing they can feel throughout every day and every night.

The kingdom of Atlas was known for their arctic, tundra landscape. With it so close to the northern pole of Remnant, from the earliest records, the landscape forced people to adapt the near sub zero temperatures; the only upside being that it kept the Grimm at bay. The people who wanted to live here, had worked through tooth and nail to survive. As a result, Atlas became the most advanced kingdom in all of Remnant.

From their sharp, militaristic skills...

To the creation of the Schnee Dust Company...

To the small difficulty of expanding their territory...

Many people called that time "a golden age of prosperity". But, to others...

" 'The coldest winter they ever knew'?" an unknown human male muttered to himself, as he continues walking through the deep snow beneath him. He then grunted, "Ironic."

Walking through the blizzard that fell over him, was a dark-skinned man with long, dark blue hair and green eyes; with the inclusion of a blue tint shining around his pupils, and a dark eyeshadow surrounding his eyes. Over him, was a high collared, black cloak that covered most of his body; with the exception of his right arm. In addition, a necklace filled with sharp red claws hang around his neck, a sash was tied around his waist, a gold ring was tighten around his upper right arm, and the only clothing that he wore was a pair of baggy pants.

The most interesting feature the man had were these light blue draconic markings that covered his pants, his cloak, and even his entire body.

Now, if anyone was near this man, they would've been wondering why he was only wearing a cloak, while instead he should be wearing a more sophisticated outfit; so he wouldn't be freezing to death. Their were two answers. The first: it wouldn't matter. Unlike most people, this man was used to the chilling temperatures; hence to why he was also not shivering.

The second: **he would've killed you on instinct.**

"I should be there, by now," the man sneered, as the blizzard began to get worse. It had been a few hours since he arrived in Atlas. The sun had set not too long ago and darkness had spread throughout the sky. While the arrival of the night didn't complicate things, it did however annoyed him at some level. But his Grandeur had told him to keep a low profile.

His other form would've alerted the entire kingdom.

But unlike his Grandeur, the man had little knowledge about the world of Remnant. It was only what his Grandeur told him, that he complied with his orders.

Apparently, there was an event not too long ago that had drastically affected all the kingdoms. The man did not know the full details of the incident, but what he can remember was that most of the blame was put on Atlas. This brought up tensions between the kingdoms, and because of the fear of war, Atlas had to close down their borders.

So basically, what Atlas 'did' left them in the dark.

With no way in...

...and no way out.

The man smiled; a small glimpse of his sharp teeth appearing from his lips. He found the situation amusing. With borders shut down, that meant the people had no where to run and no where to hide; thus making it a whole lot easier for the man to begin the killing spree that would soon be brought upon the people of Atlas. However, he knew that wasn't his objective today. Him killing too many humans would not sit well with his Grandeur.

The man was brought out of his thoughts when he finally noticed the dim lights in the distance. A long sigh of relief washed through his nose. "Finally," the man said, before continuing his journey. The smile that he had on his face never disappeared. "Let the carnage begin," he announced.

In silence, Acnologia praised the Mad Titan.

* * *

 **In Haven...**

Thanos had warned them.

All the Mad Titan wanted was to unlock the Vault, take the Relic, and leave. He had zero intention on fighting anyone here.

But, that didn't mean he was prepared for it. It was only a matter of time before the violence came into fruition. He clearly saw what was coming; right when he entered this school. It may have been bad luck on his side... or it may have been bad luck on their side. He didn't really care which was which. He just wanted to get the job done.

Although, Thanos did felt pity for the two Maidens; who were in the middle of charging up to him for the first time. They didn't know what they were up against. But, as he looked into their eyes, he saw something that he had seen in many people throughout his entire lifetime: **courage.** They both had years of combat experience. They had faced death in more ways than they can count. They didn't care what they were facing. All they knew was that he was their enemy... and they wanted to put him down mercilessly.

The Mad Titan was disappointed. _Oh, how wrong they are,_ he thought.

Just as the two Maidens closed in on him, Thanos uses his right arm brace to pivot Raven's ice blade. He then tilts his head to dodge her incoming body; followed by a swift punch towards Cinder's torso.

The Fall Maiden barely react in time for the incoming fist. Using evasive maneuvers, Cinder twists her makeshift doubled-edge sword in front of her; just as the Mad Titan's fist landed on the flaming surface.

Sadly, the Fall Maiden was not able to react what happen next.

The fist easily broke through the sword and landed on its mark. A decent amount of pain erupted through her body, as a decent amount of her Aura shattered from the blow.

The scary thing about it was that the Mad Titan did not have to use _any_ of the Infinity Stones for that strike.

Raven had just landed safely on the ground behind the Titan; when she barely noticed the wind getting knock out of Cinder and landing far back at the entrance. She only had a brief moment to describe what just happen in front of her. In that moment, she quickly guessed that the Thanos was much stronger than she thought he was. It also made sense to her; the Mad Titan was not from their world, so he was bound to have such strength that was higher than theirs. _This is not gonna be easy_ , Raven clarified.

She was right. Not known to the Maidens, this wasn't the first time that Thanos had to take on multiple enemies at once. While some were a bit challenging, the Mad Titan was able to overcame his opponents with ease. He knew it would only be a matter of time before he overcame these frauds...

As Thanos watched Cinder slowly get back up from his attack, he was able to sense the Spring Maiden's upcoming attack. He quickly turn around and notices a horizontal line of ice daggers flying towards him. With a clench of his Infinity Gauntlet, the Time Stone instantly went into effect; causing all of the ice daggers to melt. Only water was left to splash onto his armor.

The Mad Titan's revealed ability left Raven stunned for a moment. She had, once in her lifetime, seen a semblance that can control time. But the power Thanos had pulled off wasn't even close to what she remembered.

Before she could process this any further, Raven noticed Cinder using a technique she had used on her fallen ally not so long ago.

Unfortunately, Thanos was able to sense this as well. Turning his head, the Mad Titan noticed Cinder's Grimm arm rapidly stretching towards him.

To Raven, the limb was like a Griffon.

But to Thanos, it was like a turtle.

With just a turnaround, the Mad Titan easily hand-locks with Cinder's Grimm arm with his left hand.

As he did so, the Mad Titan had also knew that the Spring Maiden was not done yet. With his right arm brace, the Mad Titan once again blocked another ice sword from her; this one larger than the last one.

Now the Mad Titan was deadlocked between the Fall Maiden and the Spring Maiden. The fight had only begun; and Thanos had never moved from his original spot.

"Your efforts are futile," Thanos proclaimed with a bored look on his face. Cinder and Raven could only sneer, as they try to even the odds against him.

Their arrogance once again did not faze the Mad Titan. He could already tell they were struggling, but he knew not to conclude things too soon. There was more to it than meets the eye; as mortals would always say. He can feel the large chunk of power inside both of the Maidens that had yet to be unleashed. He knew they were holding back, and he wanted to see that power.

Although, Thanos knew that it wasn't wise to plead for such a challenge. He had to earn it, first.

As the Maidens continue to break through, the Mad Titan looks back at Cinder. "Maiden, you could've stolen the power within my gauntlet at any time now. However, that would not have been a smart decision," Thanos suddenly spoken. This made both Maidens shocked by the sudden revelation, more specifically Cinder herself. The Mad Titan was right, though. With the ability to stretch out to unnatural proportions, Cinder's Grimm arm also had the ability to absorb Aura; including a person's soul. Her arm originally was intended for stealing the rest of the Seasonal Maidens' powers.

While Cinder, and any other professional Huntsman/Huntress, had the ability to sense one's Aura, she, like Raven and the ones upstairs, was not able to sense Thanos' Aura. However, for some strange reason, she was able to sense the power within the Infinity Gauntlet. The energy that she felt was **_far_** greater than Raven's Aura alone. Earlier on, for a moment, instead of the Spring Maiden's powers, Cinder wanted to take the power of the stones for herself.

But that was when she noticed something else. Something even more deadlier than the power of the Infinity Stones: **Instability.**

"No other mortal can wield the power of the Infinity Stones," the Mad Titan. Just as he finished, the Space Stone suddenly activated.

Raven suddenly felt her whole body being pulled away from Thanos by an invisible force. The pull was so hard that it send her back towards the entrance to the Relic; her body slamming on the door's surface and sending her back to the ground.

The Mad Titan immediately switched to the Power Stone.

It was then that Cinder noticed her entire Grimm arm instantly glowing in a purple light. Sharp pain followed. On instinct, the Fall Maiden immediately retracted her limb from the Mad Titan, as she clenched her teeth in agony. She then looks at her Grimm arm. The glow had dispersed, but the limb itself was smoking violently.

The experience surprised her even more. One second, she was trying to get the upper hand on Thanos. The next thing she knew, her limb was on the brink of exploding off her body.

"I looked into your memories, Fall Maiden," Thanos answered Cinder's unasked question. Cinder looked back up from her arm in anger, while Raven did so too from the ground, as the Mad Titan continued looking at her with a bit of amused look on his face. "I did so when I first laid my eyes on you. You have had a horrible childhood. Like many children in this world, you had no home, no family, no food in your belly..." he then paused for a moment, as it reminded him of the other worlds he visited; something that the two Maidens would never understand. He frowns, "It was only until you met Salem that your life improved. She inspired you; thus you followed her. She taught you to be what you are today. You did what she told you to do... **and look at what she turn you into.** "

That was when Cinder snapped.

Her good eye instantly glows in a fiery orange, as she charges at the Mad Titan at a high speed. In return, Thanos blocked the incoming blow from her makeshift blade with his left arm brace; a resulting mild shockwave forming after.

"Don't you dare insult my master," Cinder growled in fury.

Unfazed yet again, Thanos replied, "Who said I was?"

Just as he did with Raven, the Mad Titan activated the Space Stone and fiercely sent her over the bridge and towards the cavern wall.

It was only when the Spring Maiden made her next move. The Mad Titan was prepared for another strike, but was a bit taken off by her jumping over him. He looks up and notice her aiming a ice bow and arrow above him. Nevertheless, Thanos was able to dodge the incoming arrows as he jumped back from the incoming arrows; his first movement before the fight began.

The next thing he saw was an explosion erupting from where Cinder was placed in. Even though Thanos couldn't see her, he can tell she was now telekinetically throwing large pieces of rock that were blown off.

The Mad Titan can now see this fight was starting to get intense, and the surface he was on did not have a lot of space.

He had to go airborne.

Thanos then jumped off of the bridge, just before the rocks hit their mark, and sticks his limbs within the other side of the cavern. He looks back towards the Maidens, who were looking back at him in anger, "I'm ending this skirmish! Now!"

Raising his Infinity Gauntlet in the air, the Mad Titan did the next worst thing. He clenches his Gauntlet, with the Power Stone glowing in effect. The Maidens both hear a rumbling from above.

They both look up and notice the entire ceiling glowing in a purplish tint. While Raven didn't know what was going to happen, Cinder knew very well what was about to come down on them.

And so, the destruction began.

* * *

 **Somewhere in Vacuo...**

Hot.

That is the only thing a human/faunas being can feel when they step outdoors, and that is the only thing they can feel throughout every day and every night.

The Kingdom of Vacuo was known for their sandy dunes and desolate wastelands.

It wasn't always like this, though.

In the beginning, Vacuo was an oasis. Natural resources flourished, geographical defenses kept the people safe, and their economy thrived with the largest deposit of Dust in the world. Unlike the other kingdoms, Vacuo didn't have the need to adapt. They already had everything they needed to survive.

That was until the Great War happen.

Simply put, the rest of the world found out what Vacuo had and set their eyes on claiming these resources for their own. Brutal conflict followed. Disasters came crashing down on the civilians. The whole kingdom was soon swept clean.

Now, these days, the civilians live in makeshift homes. The sad part about it was they couldn't stay forever. Fleeting resources... constant Grimm attacks... the innocent had nowhere to stay. However, a formal government was put in place after the War, but the people never truly cared for its laws. The only thing they cared about was their wellbeing.

"If you can survive there, then you're welcome here," people always said.

Survival of the fittest.

What was once a paradise, was now a dystopia.

"I now understand why my Grandeur is so upset with these lands," an unknown human male said out loud, as he continues walking through the deep sand beneath him, "It almost reminds me of home."

Walking through the sandy wind, was a man with waist-length, spiky, black hair that covered his right eye. He was wearing crimson armor with numerous metal plates; thus forming protective guards on his chest, waist, shoulders, and thighs. A metal belt, with a brown sash, was tied around his waist. Within the armor, was a blue tanned trench coat and pants, and white bandages that covered his legs. He also wears blue tanned gloves and sandals. On his back, was an orange-brown gunbai.

If anyone was near him, they would've mistaken this man as a Huntsman. Sadly, that wasn't the case.

"I am curious," the man continued, as he crossed his arms, "Why do these lands look so hopeless, while the rest of this planet is holding their own? Perhaps it is the diversity... or they just don't care. The latter seems cruel; pathetic even. I don't care what the answer is. It is not my objective," he pauses for a moment, as he narrows his eyes, "However, these worthless kingdoms still disgust me."

It was true. The way the Kingdom of Vacuo was currently working made him sick to his stomach.

But what made him feel even more disgusted was the history behind the current state of Vacuo. Greed from the other kingdoms made Vacuo fall to their knees; especially since it was during the Great War. "This planet, like many others, will always follow the path of victory and defeat. I would've enjoyed Remnant, if they haven't had their Great War. But, I know that would never be the case. War will always follow after peace. There will never be a solution... or, at least soon, there would have been. That is the reason why I follow **him**."

As the man finished his small monologue, he had just stopped near the edge of a sandy cliff; overlooking the once beautiful city down below. He silently looks down at the Huntsman Academy that stood very close near the downtown area of Vacuo.

"It's sad for them to endure more suffering... I'll make their deaths quick," the man said.

As he began traversing down the cliff and towards the city, it was then that Madara Uchiha silently praised the Mad Titan.

* * *

 **In Haven, above the Vault...**

Darkness.

That's all that Yang Xiao Long saw in her unconscious state. Thankfully, she wasn't down long as to when she had her arm sliced off; and it wasn't as painful either. Never did she, or any of her friends, thought about an alien setting foot on their world and stomping the place like its their property. Well, unfortunately, it did happen to her today; and it was during the worst kind of situations too!

Of all the days she had lived in her lifetime, this was the most annoying.

Yang groaned, as her self-consciousness finally came up to her. Her vision was fuzzy, but she can clearly tell she was laying on her stomach. Her body was still sore from the impact she had made some time ago. She slowly raises her robotic arm and rubs her forehead. "What the hell...," she blurted, as she continued to feel her muscles ache.

Eventually, her vision cleared and she was able to get a good look on her surroundings. They were not looking good at all. The first thing she noticed was the bodies of her friends and enemies lying in a similar fashion as she was before.

That was when her instincts kicked in. Yang frantically looked to her left and found her younger half-sister lying next to her; her back turned towards her. "Ruby!" she shouted. Yang quickly shifted herself and crawled up beside her sister. She then rolled Ruby onto her back and pressed her forehead on her sister's chest.

A heartbeat momentarily followed.

 _Good. She's just unconscious,_ Yang thought, as she finally stood back up. With her sister now safe, Yang looked around once more. She can still remember how she was knocked out. "It must've been that Thanos guy that did this...," Yang recalled. She then felt a shiver down her spine. It was scary for her to believe that the Mad Titan was able to knock all of her friends out at once. But, there was no denying it. She saw what happen. "I hope everyone else is okay," she then muttered...

Wait.

Yang then looked to her left again and notice something odd about her other teammate. Weiss was seen lying on her back, but the weird part of her was that she wasn't bleeding anymore. In fact, there was no blood on her outfit at all; just a small tear in her clothing where she was impaled by Cinder. Yang was now confused. She knew that Jaune was healing Weiss with his recently unlocked Semblance before she was knocked out. But, she never thought that his Semblance can be this strong. Or maybe... it wasn't him?

She then notice something else, near her teammate.

Lying on the other side of the staircase, within some rubble, Yang noticed that Hazel was in a bit of a worse state than everybody else. A large tear in the chest section of his shirt was shown, along with several second-degree burn marks on his skin. She would've felt sympathy if Hazel was her friend. But, he wasn't. Still, it did worry her. Before she was knock out, Hazel had his Semblance on. With it activated, he can't feel pain. So what worried Yang was how was he able to feel pain when his Semblance was still on?

"Did Thanos do this to him?" Yang said, feeling a bit shocked, "What the heck is going on?"

 ***rumble** *

Suddenly, Yang felt a small, violent tremor beneath her feet. The tremor caused the entire room to shake; dust from the ceiling, the walls, and the upper floor falling to the ground and cracks forming all around her. Yang was barely able to stand, as the tremor slowly quieted down.

 _What was that?_ , she thought.

 ***rumble** *

Yang felt another tremor, this one a bit calmer. She then looks towards the opening to the Vault, as she notices a thick pillar of smoke rising from the entrance. "Thanos must be down there," she realized, "But, who's he... oh shit."

Yang remembered, that before the Mad Titan arrived, her mother, Cinder, and Vernal were down there attempting to open the door to the Relic. She can feel her fists clenching in annoyance. "This doesn't make any sense. Why is he fighting those three? Shouldn't he be helping them? Wait, what am I saying? Of course he won't. Looked what he did to Hazel," she clarified once more, looking back at the large man. "But..., why is he doing this?"

It was then that Yang remembered a key quote the Mad Titan had said before:

 _ **"Where is the Relic?"**_

Yang took off in a short sprint. Before she could push on though, the girl stopped and looked back at her fallen friends. What she was doing was very dangerous and very risky. She knew she couldn't take him on alone. But, she also knew that they, even her enemies, were in a tight spot right now. It was only a matter of time before Thanos could get his hands on the Relic.

And she was damn sure that's not going to happen.

So, without wasting anymore time, Yang jumped out of the frying pan...

...and into the fire.. literally.

* * *

 **Minutes Earlier...**

When the rocks fell down, Cinder Fall and Raven Branwen made their moves.

And so did Thanos.

The Fall Maiden jumped off from the side of the cavern and landed on a stalactite, while the Spring Maiden dodged an incoming large rock and jumped onto a stalactite in front of Cinder.

Thanos jumped off from his side, as well, while also landing on his own stalactite. But he did not stayed there forever. He immediately jumped off from piece of rock to another, while dodging and parrying a vision of fire and ice arrows launched by the two Maidens. As he closed in, he began retracting his Infinity Gauntlet out for a massive blow; the Space Stone glowing in effect.

Raven quickly noticed and jumped back at the last second. However, the Space Stone was able to prevent more stalactites and other large pieces of rock from falling onto the bridge or down in the abyss.

Now, the three were all fighting out in a hovering battlefield. Everyone's reactions did not last long...

As the Mad Titan straighten himself, he sensed an incoming Cinder zooming towards him. Quickly crossing his arms over his face, he blocked the large fire sword; creating a more violent shockwave than before.

Then, as Thanos began putting more pressure on Cinder's sword, he quickly sensed Raven behind him. He retracted his left arm and blocked an incoming punch from the Spring Maiden. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to blocked Cinder's swift kick towards his chest plate.

Even though he didn't feel any pain, Thanos was sent back a few feet. He stops shortly near the edge of the stalactite and sharply looks back at the two Maidens, who were finally now holding their ground. "Not bad," the Mad Titan complimented, which the Maidens did not take, "But lets try that again."

Just as he finished, Thanos activated the Reality Stone. It was then that Cinder and Raven noticed a pair of dual swords, one forming on each hand. When the mergence completed, the Mad Titan raised his swords out towards the Maidens. They both took it as an offer to fight once more.

They accepted it.

With their own blades forming parallel to each other, Cinder and Raven both charged in; with the Mad Titan doing the same.

They both clashed in the middle of the stalactite.

However, the impact of Thanos' swords on their own was strong enough to push them back. Through their reflexes, the Maidens were able to make a safe landing and charged in again; this time with their eyes glowing to power up their attacks.

Unfortunately for them, the Mad Titan was still able to hold his ground; and that literally annoyed the two.

It was then that they decided to take a new approach.

With Cinder in the air and Raven on the ground, the two Maidens continuously spun around the Mad Titan in top speed, as they attempt to find an opening to pierce through Thanos' defenses. The Mad Titan watched casually; like it was nothing. Multiple attempts did plan out above and below, but Thanos was able to redirect their strikes.

Eventually, the Maiden's continuous assault started to annoy Thanos. Right after he redirected a slash from Cinder, the Mad Titan quickly dispersed his swords and activated the Space Stone.

The stone's power froze the Maidens in place. They were about to attempt to break free from their hold when Thanos made his next move.

Using more of the Space Stone's power, the Mad Titan violently pushed Cinder back within another midair large rock; followed by giving Raven a sucker punch to her chest, sending her off the edge of the floating surface.

Thanos knew the Fall Maiden would break out soon, so he decided to turn the odds in his favor. With the Space Stone once more, Thanos telekinetically grasped the large rock and threw it down towards the stalactite he was on. The Mad Titan jumped onto another stalactite, so he wouldn't caught in the mess.

As he watch the large rock collided with the stalactite, Thanos instantly sense an incoming Spring Maiden. With his fist ready, the Mad Titan spun around and swung his clenched Infinity Gauntlet towards Raven's powered ice-covered fist. Both fists collided, creating a small shockwave.

"You can't walk away from this, can you?" Thanos said to the Spring Maiden.

Raven just 'tsk', as she glared at him, "Does that even matter now?"

The Mad Titan lowered his eyebrows in disappointment, "You do not understand me."

"I don't want to hear another word!" Raven screamed, as she created a small dagger in her free. She then thrust it towards the Mad Titan's neck.

However, Thanos was able to intercept it with his other hand with ease; crushing the dagger and grabbing ahold of Raven's other hand. Now the two interlocked with one another. "Such arrogance," the Mad Titan stated. With a quick look on her face, Thanos was able to tell the difference between Raven and Cinder.

Cinder was sinister and nihilistic. She's a person who would destroy anything and anyone in her path to get what she wanted the most. She would always pick the right people to trust and the right people to kill. The Fall Maiden was almost like him; but her way of reaching her goals were more... forceful. But when her plans ultimately fail, or if you just push her buttons, she would lash out in rage.

Raven, however, was stone cold and introverted. She can also be sarcastic and arrogant at times. There really was no main goal for her. Whatever she saw in sight that caught her interest, she would just take it without any regrets; sort of like 'the end justifies the means'. However, there was something else about her that Thanos disapproved.

"Spring Maiden, I did not lie about looking into the Fall Maiden's memories," the Mad Titan began, "Through the Mind Stone, I saw every single moment of her life. It affected me. For someone like her to sacrifice her own humanity to deeply follow the one she trusts the most, is sad; yet also horrific... ...Yours, however, is different."

When Thanos finished, Raven felt her eyes widen once more. She quickly realized what the Mad Titan meant: not only did he looked into Cinder's memories, **but he also looked into her memories, as well.**

"That girl with the one arm..., the one of many that I have met above,... she's your daughter, isn't she?" Thanos solemnly stated, as he directly looks at the conflicted look on Raven's face; the glow in her eyes disappearing, "Do not mistake me, Spring Maiden. I have no intention in harming her. Frankly, I too have a daughter who feels the same way as your daughter does... They both hate us for our actions," Thanos paused for a moment, as he silently breathed out through his nose in discomfort, "Tell me,... why did you leave her? Was it because of the knowledge you had of Salem that made you want to protect her? It could be that. The missions you went on with your team were dangerous," he paused again, this time shooting a fierce glare at her, "Or maybe,... you just didn't care. You had no interest in staying with your newfound family. You just wanted to get back to the place where you belonged and **_pretend_** like those events never happen at all."

As the Mad Titan continued with his monologue, Raven felt shivers shooting down her spine. Even so, she barely fought her way through her mental state and ignored all the bad signs that she sensed from the alien's words. She didn't want to hear what he was speaking; nor she didn't care. All that she could feel was the anger surging in her body.

But what the Mad Titan said next, almost made her feel something crack inside her heart.

"You thought forgetfulness would set you free," Thanos began to finish, "You thought running away would solve your problems. You thought claiming this power was mercy... I don't see that logic, Spring Maiden... All I see... ... **is a coward.** "

It was just then that both of them heard an explosion of flames being set off behind them. Cinder Fall had just arose from the debris; her clothing covered in dust and pebbles and a large bloodied cut shown on her left cheek.

She was furious.

Setting her eyes on the Mad Titan, Cinder screams out of rage and zooms towards Thanos at the highest speed possible.

Unfortunately yet again, the Mad Titan was still able to detect her.

Using the momentum, Thanos put pressure on Raven's hands and swung her entire body around; directly slamming Cinder's flaming body, just as she was about to catch him off guard. The Mad Titan let go of Raven, and both Maidens were sent a good distance away; stopping near the edge of the stalactite.

The impact of Cinder's body, made Raven refocus. As she did so, the Spring Maiden felt just as mad as the Fall Maiden.

Raven quickly got back on her feet, while Cinder struggled a bit to stand.

The Mad Titan watched as both Maidens' eyes glowed liked never before.

He can finally feel it.

Cinder and Raven were at their full power, and they were ready to unleash hell on Thanos. However, they were both exhausted; their auras were almost drained. Deep down, the two Maidens had finally realized that they were no match for the Mad Titan. Whatever they tried to do, Thanos would always be prepared for it.

The kick that Cinder landed on him was only a lucky shot.

Still, that didn't mean they were gonna give up. The two have come so close to their objective, that they were not willing to back down.

They were out of options, but they didn't care. All they need to do was land one final blow on the Mad Titan.

So, they charged in one last time.

And so did Thanos.

The Maidens jumped off from the surface, and so did the Mad Titan.

All pulled back their fists, as they all initiated their battle cries. Cinder and Raven both powered up their arms to their maximum potential, while Thanos didn't have the need to.

They close in...

...and they collide.

The Maidens' fists colliding with the Mad Titan's Infinity Gauntlet sent a huge shockwave throughout the Vault. All the stalactites and large rocks that hovered all around them shattered from the force of their blow; it even almost crack the entire bridge.

The shockwave ended in a matter of seconds, and all combatants fell down towards the bridge.

Raven tumbled onto the surface near the doubled-doors; her back colliding with the wall once again.

Cinder tumbled onto the surface near the entrance; her front facing away from the others, as she laid there barely conscious.

Thanos landed safely on his feet in the middle of the bridge, as the remaining pieces of the rocks fell around him.

The Mad Titan can see the Maidens' Auras shimmering away; leaving themselves vulnerable. _There's no use for them to fight anymore,_ he thought. His battle with them was over, and he, like all the other times he fought, had merged victorious.

Now, there was only one thing left to do.

Thanos noticed Raven struggling to push herself off from the door; her legs were shaking and her breathing was hasty. The Mad Titan hummed in disappointment, as he began walking towards where she laid. He would've felt pity for the tribe leader, just as he did with Cinder. But, he knew her true nature... and that made him feel only anger.

Eventually, the Mad Titan closed the distance between him and the Spring Maiden. Raven was still sitting on the ground when he arrived; making him feel less sympathetic for her.

He then crouched down and make direct eye contact with Raven. "Had enough?" Thanos asked, with an unamused tone.

Raven could only clench her teeth, as blood dripped down on the side of her forehead. "Shut up," she snarled.

The Mad Titan was not fazed by her rotten temper. Instead, he replied, "Just as I thought. Your arrogance will get you nowhere, Spring Maiden. There will always be flaws within you; and today, those flaws have put you to where you are now."

Raven just sneered back at him.

"I am impressed, though," Thanos stated, "I never imagined our fight would last this long. You and the Fall Maiden have quite the skill. You could've used that power to help balance this world. Instead, you chose otherwise."

Raven grunted and looks away from him; clenching her teeth once more.

"It is not too late," the Mad Titan continued, making Raven look at him again, "You can still do the right thing. Remnant may have the remains of their past, but it is not forever lost. You, your tribe, and many others can still pick up the pieces and reshape it into a new reality; and to do that,... ...you must open this door for me."

Raven did not give the time for her to think up an answer. There was no need to. She already had it, before the Mad Titan had finished his words: " _Never._ "

Thanos then frowns and lowers his eyebrows. He can tell there was no use in asking Raven to help him.

He really didn't want to do this. He thought using his power would be a waste, and that he find the Spring Maiden as an alternative. But since she was not going to open the door to the Relic, the Mad Titan had to take a matter in his own hands.

"Fine," Thanos said darkly, as he stands back up, "I'll do it myself."

The Mad Titan then activated the Reality Stone.

Raven suddenly felt a weird sensation on the door she was leaning on. She looks up and noticed the large double doors shining in a red glow. _What is he.._ , Raven began to think.

That was when she saw it.

In an instant, the entirety of the double doors had vanished into dust; leaving the entrance to the Relic of Knowledge wide open.

The Spring Maiden couldn't comprehend what just happened in front of her. It was beyond impossible. From the knowledge she had learned from Ozpin, the only way to open a Vault's door was the power of a specific Maiden. When she claimed the power of the Spring Maiden, Raven knew that she was the only person on Remnant to open the Vault inside Haven Academy.

And Thanos had just done that with a clench of his gauntlet.

"No...," Raven breathed out, before she was grabbed by the Mad Titan and thrown down across the bridge.

Thanos then turns back at the entrance. What he saw almost astounded him. Through the once double doors, the Mad Titan noticed the scenery had changed. The area was filled in a desert landscape; with sand being blown in the air by the wind. It was almost as if he was transported to another part of the world.

Standing on a lone pillar, several feet away, was a golden lantern. Within the lantern, contained a blue-greenish fire.

Thanos knew what he looking at. It was the one thing that he needed, when he first arrived. The lantern was the Relic of Knowledge.

The Mad Titan didn't take part in walking towards the Relic. He knew he would just waste more time. So, he took a shortcut. With the Space Stone activated, Thanos carefully telekinetically lifted the Relic off from the lone pillar and gently pulled the Relic towards him.

In just a matter of seconds, the Relic was in his right hand. Deactivating the Space Stone, Thanos brought the Relic up to his face and looked closely at the fire within. He can feel the immense power warming his skin. It felt... delightful.

The Mad Titan smiles for the first time.

But, his smile only lasted for a short moment.

Thanos quickly turn around and activated the Space Stone once more; stopping a stretched out Grimm limb from attacking him. He curled his Infinity Gauntlet back towards him, as the host was violently sent off from the ground and zoomed towards him. Then, within a few inches away from each other, Thanos deactivated the stone and grabbed Cinder's neck.

"It's not wise to attack from behind," Thanos commented, as he glared at the struggling Fall Maiden.

"L-Look who's t-t-talking," Cinder choked.

The Mad Titan only deepened his glare, "I _**can**_ kill you, you know."

"T-Then do it," Cinder glared back. The woman was prepared to die. Her death at the hands of Thanos would signal Salem and the rest of her subordinates. The Grimm Queen will know about a third party in the mix of her war; and with this knowledge, Salem will do whatever it takes to bring this monster down.

That is; if she did die.

At first, Thanos started to comply with her statement. But suddenly, he retracted. Unknown to Cinder, the Mad Titan began to think. Unlike Raven, Thanos saw a lot of potential within Cinder. When he looked into her memories, Thanos noticed that the woman was still young with being the current Fall Maiden; and she had yet to fully master her powers. The Mad Titan wondered, with just the right training, she could be a deadly force to be reckon with; her Grimm arm was a bonus.

This wasn't the first time he had done this, but he knew it wouldn't be the last.

"No," Thanos plainly answered, as he let go of Cinder. The Fall Maiden collapsed to the ground below him. She slowly caught her breath, as the violent chokehold she was in almost made her suffocate. Momentarily, Cinder looks back up at the Mad Titan.

That was her biggest mistake.

Just as she arched her head up, Thanos gently placed his Infinity Gauntlet on her forehead; the Mind Stone activated. Cinder instantly felt her body shaking, and her vision clouding up in a blue shimmer. Her brain was shifting out of control; making her feel lightheaded. If her body's condition was stable, Cinder would've felt this raw energy coursing through her stem cells. But since it was not, the energy she felt.. was too great.

In under a few moments, the Fall Maiden passed out.

"I have plans for you, Cinder," Thanos looked down at the unconscious woman; grinning in appreciation.

"What is the point in all this?" The Mad Titan looks back up and noticed Raven kneeling on the ground; her hands placed on the surface and her hair overshadowing her eyes. "Why would you cause all this violence; just to get what you want?" Raven said.

"I didn't cause this fight," Thanos retaliated, "You did."

"But still, what does this all mean!?" Raven finally looked up at the Mad Titan, anger flashing from the glow within her crimson colored eyes. "Why do you need the Relics so badly!?"

"I already told you," Thanos reminded her, his voice becoming a bit more forceful, "The Relics are a piece of a large puzzle that needs to be set in place. Once I complete that puzzle, I will accomplish my mission."

"...Then what is your mission?" Raven asked again. Thanos was about to remind her again, when she continued, "You said that the problem in this universe is overpopulation; due to the lack of resources! How do you plan on fixing that problem, once you have everything you need!?"

The Mad Titan silently looked on at the frustrated Spring Maiden. From the look in her eyes, Thanos could tell she was desperate for an answer. It made sense. Despite the information he had given her, Raven knew very little about Thanos.

He wanted to change that.

" **By erasing half of all life** ," Thanos calmly replied.

"...w...what?" Raven froze in shock. She did not expect the Mad Titan to give her that answer. She thought it would be something entirely different, like double the universe's resources. But no, it wasn't that. His answer struck a rare feeling within Raven; a feeling that she hadn't felt for a very long time.

Fear.

As Raven was trying to recollect her thoughts, Thanos scooped up Cinder with his left arm and placed over his shoulder. "When I had collected all six Infinity Stones, I tried to erase half of the universe with just a snap of my fingers," he began, "I had believed, right then and there, that I had completed my mission... Sadly, that wouldn't be the case. I had only erased part of the universe. I was lost. Frustrated; even. I never imagined the universe would be a lot bigger than what I originally thought. I had no idea what to do next... Until I met someone. He showed me a way to solve this ongoing problem. There are mystical artifacts throughout this region of the universe that I need to collect." He paused for a moment, while looking at the Relic he was holding, "These Relics... they are the first of many. Once I have all these artifacts, I will finally wipe out half of all life... Then, I will rest; and watch the sun rise on a grateful universe. The hardest choices require the strongest wills."

Raven was horrified. Never did she realize that Thanos' attempt of balancing the universe was to destroy half of all life; and plus he even tried to do it once before. For the first time in her life, she didn't want to think about the people who have had to suffer their unwanted deaths...

Still, there was one thing she didn't understand.

"...You said that you need all four Relics, right?" Raven hesitantly began. Thanos looked on, as she continued, "Do you know where the others are?"

"I do," the Mad Titan simply answered.

"Then it's not gonna be as simple as here," the Spring Maiden sharply glared at him, "Ever since the Fall of Beacon, all the other kingdoms are on high alert. I even got word that Atlas had closed their borders. So, if you were to go to either Atlas or Vacuo, then you're gonna face a lot of pressure there. You may find the Relic in Vale, but you will _never_ find the others."

Thanos was unfazed by her warning. He would've felt even more disappointing, but he recalled that Raven did not know about his ability to transport to different locations with the Space Stone. But even so, it wouldn't make sense if he told her that.

Because he had no intention in going to anywhere else.

"That won't be necessary," Thanos began, "I have already accomplished my goal here on Remnant."

Raven was taken back by his answer. "What do you mean by that?"

" **What I mean is, I already have all the Relics,** " Thanos answered, as he began walking towards her. Once again, Raven froze in shock. "You see Spring Maiden, I already have _my_ own subordinates in Vacuo and Atlas. As we are speaking right now, they are attacking the academies. In time, they will walk out of those kingdoms with the Relics in their hands and half of the population dead... As for Vale, there is no point. Just before I entered this school, I had gotten word that Salem has the Relic of Choice. Once I am done here, my subordinates and I will will head over to the Queen's lair and take the Relic from her by force."

"Your... y-your insane," the Spring Maiden breathed out.

The Mad Titan stops in front of the kneeling Raven, who was still in deep shock. "A small price to pay for salvation," He said, frowning yet again.

As he finished, Thanos saw something new within the Maiden. Within the cowardice, scared soul was something that really deeply described the tribe leader: Isolation. He realized the real reason why Raven left her family. It was because she was so used to being with her tribe. She didn't want to get into any outside problems. She wanted to be left alone... and her leaving her daughter caused her to dig up an even deeper hole; where she would stay buried within. He knew his last line clarified what Raven really was.

Weak.

Thanos knew what needed to be done.

"There's one thing I forgot to mention about you," the Mad Titan began, "Throughout your time in your tribe, you followed a code; a set of words that helps you describe and accept the world you live in. 'The strong survive, the weak perish.'. I have heard those words from many other beings like you... But, I did not agree with them; nor do I agree with you. There are no strong individuals in the universe. It only depends on the strength they have. There are, however, a few individuals that are truly weak. Those are the people who have done something so wrong, that they can't forgive themselves for it or they simply don't take notice," Thanos paused for a moment, as he looked down at the dazed Raven, "That is what I also see in you, Spring Maiden: Weak. _**You**_ are weak. You feel as if giving everything away would made you feel secure. You abandon your allies, your daughter, and even your own brother, and replaced them. How would your allies feel if you ever met them again? I believe they would feel the same way as your relatives did. You have done so many things, made many decisions, and created many problems. You were at peace before you entered Beacon. You had a team, you had friends, and most importantly, you had a family... and you threw it all away."

Silence followed.

All the words that Thanos had said left Raven in a state where she wished she would never go to.

Her heart was pounding.

Her breathing was shallow.

Her pupils dilated.

Her mouth was open.

And tears were on the brink of falling out.

The Mad Titan then said one final question: "I ask you..., **what did it cost?** "

"...Everything," Raven whispered, as tears finally spilled out.

Thanos frowned once again; this time not of disappointment nor pity nor sadness... but neglect. He finally understand that she was too far gone; and that there was no going back. He knew she would never change.

The Mad Titan slowly placed his Infinity Gauntlet on top of her head.

" **I hope they remember you,... ...Raven.** "

All six Infinity Stones activated.

Raven didn't feel any pain this time. Instead, she felt this hollow feeling slowly erupting throughout in her body.

It wasn't good.. nor was it bad.

It felt... mutual.

The woman's body briefly glowed in a bright, white light.

Then it immediately dimmed.

And that's when it happen.

Her arms...

Her legs...

Her chest...

Her face...

All of it...

As if the sound of pebbles hitting the ground was heard, the woman's body starts to fade away...

Until there was nothing left, but the dust of her remains...

Thanos' Infinity Gauntlet went back to his side, as he stared down at what was left of the Spring Maiden.

There was no denying it.

Raven Branwen was gone.

 _ **BOOM!**_

 ** _"NNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"_**

The Mad Titan quickly arched his head back up and noticed the huge flaming aura that had erupted in the entrance to the Vault... and was already heading straight towards him; with the intent to kill.

* * *

 **Above...**

"Where's Yang?" Ruby Rose called out; looking at Oscar Pine and her uncle Qrow. The 15 year-old silver eyed huntress had just woken from unconsciousness, along with almost everyone else, when she noticed her older sister missing.

Now normally, when they had woken up, both heroes and villains would've started fighting each other again, until they were put down permanently... or at least, if you were one of the bad guys. But these were unusual times.

When both sides had woken up, they slowly started questioning each other on what just happen to them. It was crazy; no, it was actually unprecedented. They had witnessed an alien walking into Haven and showed them like he was a god. Just _**one**_ move of his had knocked almost everybody's lights out.

The one thing that did worry them, was the fact that not everyone had gotten back up.

Emerald and Mercury were checking on Hazel's condition, while Jaune, Nora, and Ren were checking on Weiss' condition. Ruby was with Oscar and Qrow; talking to them about their current situation. Lionheart was still above the balcony above the Vault's entrance; frantically looking around.

Things had taken an unexpected turn. Everyone was worried about the safety of their specific friends; more so for Emerald and Mercury. Those two were horrified on how Hazel was badly burned; they even thought that he was dead. But with the faint heartbeat they heard within him, made them sigh in relief.

With Weiss, however, some people were also curious. Unlike Hazel, the former heiress' condition was perfectly normal. But, what made people curious, especially Jaune and Ruby, was how did it come to this? Before they were knocked out, Weiss was on the verge of death; and now it seemed like it didn't happen at all.

It was strange.

 ***rumble** *

Qrow was about to answer Ruby's question, when suddenly the area began to shake.

Everybody was able to stay on their feet; as the small tremor slowly diminished.

Everyone then began to wonder where that came from, while also being cautious. Both heroes and villains slowly pulled their weapons; all sensing the atmosphere immediately shifting into a dead silence. The exception was Lionheart, who was shivering in fear and feeling a multiple tingling down his spine.

"I got a bad feeling about this," Qrow whispered.

The dusty, old man was right.

 _ **BOOM!**_

It all happen in an instant.

One second the floor was fine...

Until a massive hole burst from the ground. Pieces of the maroon-colored floor and multitudes of rocks flew into the air. The force of the explosion had skid anyone close to the blast radius away; their faces being covered by their arms and/or weapons, as pieces of rock had successfully landed on their bodies.

There was one other thing from the debris; and _**who**_ came out horrified the little Rose.

Within the rocks and floor tiles that were being blown away was Yang. Her stomach was violently bend back, as if she was punched so hard; that it almost made her unrecognizable. Her Aura quickly shimmered away, as her hair covered her face... and the most horrifying part, was that the piece of metal that she called her arm... was gone.

Everyone can only watched in complete shock, as the young huntress continued to fly across the room.

Eventually, she hit the ground and her body bounced off. She then continued to roll and bounce away, as her body smashed through Haven's doors; thus revealing the night sky and the countless number of White Fang members.

"YANG!" Ruby screamed, as she began to use her Semblance to catch up to her fallen sister. Her uncle and her friends followed after her; with Jaune carrying Weiss. Even Emerald and Mercury were following them, who both knew that their only ally left was safe inside.

Lionheart, however, didn't followed them. When he first saw Yang bursting from the ground, he just ran back deeper inside the school.

Everyone else had made it out, all noticing the commotion that was going on outside.

The school was surrounded!

Hundreds of faunas, all holding swords and makeshift shields, were circling around the large squad of White Fang. Mistral police forces were covering the night sky; their ships hovering above the school grounds. It was a sight to see... well, it would've been.

None of the young huntsmen or huntresses were looking at all this.

Instead, they were staring at a long lost friend.

"...Blake?" Ruby stared up at her former teammate in shock, as she kneeled next to her sister.

The feline faunas stared down at her former team leader, "...Ruby?"

" **Well, well,... what a surprise.** "

Every single person in the area looked up at the sound of the deep, powerful, sinister tone of Thanos; who was standing right where the front doors once were. While everyone that was inside the school knew who he was, everyone outside had no clue. However, literally _everyone_ can now feel the dark, deathly, almost hypnotic, aura that surrounded the Mad Titan.

Thanos looked over at the large group of people that gazed at him. He even noticed one of the lights from the airships above was shining over him; revealing more of his appearance. All this commotion didn't surprise him one bit; he had faced a lot of huge crowds before.

However, the revelation of them being here did.

"To think that the White Fang would be here of all places... Remnant never ceases to amaze me," Thanos booming voice was heard all around, as he walked down the steps from the entrance. No one can notice the small grin appearing on his lips.

"Cinder!" Emerald called out, now noticing her fallen master resting over the Mad Titan's shoulder. She, Mercury, and her enemies couldn't believe what they were seeing.

From the looks of it, Cinder Fall, _**the**_ Fall Maiden, was defeated by the hands of an alien overlord; and what was even worse,... within Thanos' right hand was the one thing that they were all fighting for from the very beginning:

The Relic of Knowledge.

 _Bang!_

The Mad Titan quickly hold up his left arm brace to block the incoming bullet that was fired by an enraged Qrow.

" _WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY NIECE!?_ " Qrow screamed, aiming Ruby's Crescent Rose, " _AND HOW DID YOU GET THE RELIC!?_ "

Ruby, herself, was now surprised. Never did she remember seeing her uncle in such an angered state. Sure; she remembered her uncle getting angry before. But not _this_ angry! What amazed her, though, was that she didn't saw Qrow grabbing her weapon from her arms.

...It almost scared her.

" _THANOS!_ " Qrow screamed, as the Mad Titan remained silent.

"U-U-Uncle Qrow?" Ruby stuttered.

Qrow sharply look towards his other niece and noticed the shock look on her face. For a moment, he realized what he was doing. The aged huntsman was able to calm down and hand back her younger niece's weapon. "Sorry," he muttered.

Despite the man's sudden rage, Thanos was still unfazed. It almost felt familiar to him; this wasn't the first time he heard someone speak to him like that.

"Wait a minute," both relatives looked up by the sudden voice of Mercury; who strangely felt as if he had two heads, "Where's Raven and Vernal?"

This had caught all the other young huntsmen and huntresses' attention. They were so caught up with the all these new sudden problems, that they forgot to realize that Raven nor Vernal had not come out of the Vault.

Blake was a bit curious, too. She barely remembered the time when Yang talked to her about her true mother; about how she ran away and Yang trying to look for her. Now, Yang's mother was here? What does that even suppose to mean?

"Vernal...," Thanos called out, "The girl that laid beside the Fall and Spring Maiden. She was already dead when I arrived."

 _Wait, what!?,_ Qrow suddenly realized, _Is he really saying that Raven was the Spring Maiden THE WHOLE TIME!?_ This new revelation shocked the aged huntsman; the most out of everyone close to him. He had always thought that Raven **had** the Spring Maiden, but he never imagined his own sibling being the **true** Spring Maiden all along... _...well played, sister._

"As for Ra-"

"So, your the one who has been causing all this ruckus!" Adam suddenly interrupted the Mad Titan. Thanos shifted his eyes towards the young White Fang leader. "Judging by what these insects think of you, you must have foiled half of our plans! That is something that I will not tolerate!"

That was a big mistake on Adam's part. Not known to them, it was very rude for someone to interrupt the Mad Titan. Those who have done so were not punished severely, but they were to lose his respect.

"...I take it your the current leader of the White Fang?" Thanos eventually asked.

Adam harden his glare under his mask, "I am," the bull faunas paused, as he slowly focused on the Mad Titan's body features. Strange to him, Adam couldn't find any faunas traits on Thanos; nor did he seem to be human. "As I look at you right now, you don't seem to be Faunas or Human. What are you, and why are you doing this to my people!?"

Blake could only glare at her former comrade. It was not because of his actions, since it was already enough for her to hate him, it was the way he was acting right now. Whenever she witness Adam talk to anyone that was not Faunas, he would always treat them like garbage; like as if they weren't even born to live. It sicken her to think that her former friend would go down this path.

However, she was curious about the 'elephant in the room'. From what she heard from Ruby's uncle, this being was named Thanos. Blake never heard a name like that before... but he was in no doubt her enemy. Thanos hurt her friend and former teammate.

Speaking of Thanos, the Mad Titan was solely staring silently at Adam. When he first laid his eyes on the bull faunas, all Thanos could think of him was one word: **spite.** He saw the once innocent, soft, honest little boy turned into a vicious, bloodthirsty monster. He was worse than Raven; but less than Salem. But, unlike Raven, he knew it wasn't Adam's fault. The bull faunas didn't chose this path on his own. He chose it because of inspiration. The White Fang's current ways inspired him to be the type of person he was today.

Thanos would not let this stand no longer.

" _ **Your**_ people...?" the Mad Titan began, his tone deepening in anger, "You tell me that the destruction of civilization is the way to help your people!?"

A brief burst of wind suddenly erupted from within the Mad Titan; causing everyone to get their guard up. They have not seen Thanos this angry before; so they can already tell something was about to go down.

"What is this man?" Ghira Belladonna muttered from within the Menagerie forces.

"You think unbalancing this world would give your people freedom?" Thanos began again, "Well, you are wrong child. From what I have learned, the White Fang was originally supposed to be a Faunas civil rights group; their goal being to unite the Faunas and the Humans as equals... peacefully." The Mad Titan then slowly raises his left hand and points towards the White Fang's first leader. "That is... until you left them."

The White Fang and the allied forces all turned their heads to Blake's father. Ghira himself was shock for him to hear the Mad Titan speaking this historical information. "What was it, Belladonna? Why did you stepped down? Was it the stress; was it too much for you? ...Or maybe the faunas eventually didn't want you to be their leader anymore?" Thanos interrogated him.

At first, the chieftain of Menagerie could only gaze at the Mad Titan. He, like everyone else, wasn't sure how he had learned this vital information... except one, however.

'Ozpin' knew how Thanos knew this; he told the immortal soul this when his friends were knocked out.

"The latter," Ghira finally answered, "There was a vote. Once every three years, the White Fang would have an election to determine who would be their new leader. I was outvoted by the majority. So, I stepped down and Sienna Khan took my place."

"And now she is dead; by the hands of the group that you had formed," Thanos immediately stated.

"I never wanted this to happen!" Ghira retaliated, his eyes filled with grief.

"I know you didn't... and I envy you. You should've stayed as leader, Belladonna," Thanos said in an understandable tone. He can see it. Ghira was only trying to do the right thing for his people... the right way. The Mad Titan then shifted his eyes back to Adam. "You see child, conflict is not the answer for the Faunas; nor is it for Remnant; nor is it for the universe. The only thing that you should be fighting for is peace... and the Grimm. If you still believe that violence is the answer to all problems, then you will only cause war. The war that you will start child, may be even deadlier than the first one... Those who do survive will suffer the most."

Silence followed.

The allied forces were amazed by the Mad Titan's wisdom. Even though they stood against him, they knew his words had some positive logic. War is nothing but a term to break people; to slaughter all those who were against an idea... and those who support for it. The irony in his words was that everyone knew that today, war on Remnant was almost inevitable; ever since the Fall of Beacon.

They just hoped the tensions didn't escalate further.

"You're right," Adam eventually replied; making his brethren, even Blake, turn to him. "War is not the answer."

The White Fang members were astounded by their leader's words. When they got here, Adam was desperately planning on blowing up Haven. Now, his intentions were the complete opposite!?

But Blake and Thanos knew there was more to this.

Moments after he said this, Adam unseathe his blood red colored sword and faced it towards the Mad Titan. "But it soon will be!" he sneered.

Thanos now was disappointed in the young leader. Just like with Raven, the Mad Titan knew Adam was going to disagree with him. The White Fang's influence had pushed this child too far. There was no going back.

He never planned on doing this. He knew, that if he did, it would leave some people suffering; a strong feeling that he opposed.

But, as he said before, **the hardest choices require the strongest wills.**

"Then you leave me no choice," Thanos said.

With a clench of his Infinity Gauntlet, all six Infinity Stones glowed in effect.

The heroes, the villains, the White Fang, the forces of Menagerie, and the Police of Mistral all aim their weapons towards the Mad Titan; all awaiting for him to make his first move.

...they should've done so, immediately.

 _Fools,_ Thanos thought, as he brought his Infinity Gauntlet up to his face.

 _Snap_

Everyone was now confused.

They all thought Thanos was going to attack them.

Instead, he just snapped his fingers.

Adam snickered, "That's it? That's all you got for us? Some little magic trick?"

The Mad Titan did not answer back. Instead, he said, "The fate of Remnant now hangs by a thread."

Thanos then deactivates all except the Space Stone. A blue, dark rift suddenly opens up behind him.

Everyone from outside was oblivious to what the rift really was.

But to those from inside, they knew exactly what the Mad Titan was doing...

He was getting away...

With the Relic of Knowledge in his hands...

And the Fall Maiden over his shoulder...

"It is finally now the time to snuff out the Queen of the Grimm," Thanos announced, as he then began to walk back through the rift.

"He's taking the Relic!" Jaune shouted, who was still carrying Weiss.

"And Cinder!" Emerald shouted.

All the inside forces that were still standing began to rush towards the Mad Titan.

But, they were too late.

Just as they were about to reach him, Thanos had already walked through and the rift instantly collapsed on itself.

"NO!" Oscar and 'Ozpin' shouted.

"CINDER!" Emerald screamed.

The rest of them were as horrified as they were.

The one thing that they were all fighting for was taken from them.

Thanos had escaped.

They had failed.

"Who the hell was that?" Blake turned to Sun, who had just ran up to her. "How did he knew your dad... and what was that weird lamp he was holding?"

Blake was as clueless as he was. She was shocked when Thanos talked about her father; even more so when he talked about his dad's former position... She didn't know what was going on.

.

.

.

.

"...Something does not feel right," 'Ozpin' eventually said, who just took over Oscar's body again. All of his allies and friends turn to him and noticed the look on his face.

"Ozpin..., are.. you okay?" Nora asked him.

There was no sadness, no happiness, no anger, no fear, nothing...

'Ozpin' felt... **hopeless**.

What they didn't know, was that the worst had just begun.

.

.

.

.

"...n-nora?"

The said cheery, bubbly girl turn to her longtime close friend.

Magnihild dropped from Nora's arms, as horror slowly spread across her face.

The girl stared at Ren; who was looking at his left arm.

It was disintegrating.

Ren could only look at her...

...before his entire body collapsed and fell apart.

The only thing that was left of him, were his weapons.

Nora slowly walks over and crouches down to her friend's remains. She places her hand on his ashes and feels the dead cold touch.

She slowly looks up to her friends and huffs; tears escaping from her eyes.

Her friends were much like her... horrified.

Jaune and Ruby were acting up the most.

They were experiencing it again... They lost a close friend of theirs again...

.

.

.

.

"Oh, shit..."

Emerald looked over towards Mercury.

...and saw him collapse and fell apart.

His robotic legs were all that remained.

"..." Emerald was dead silent, as she lost another friend right before her eyes.

.

.

.

.

Then, one by one, half of Menagerie's forces began to distintegrate. Ghira and Kali could only watch in horror as their friends and neighbors were erased from existence.

"Oh my god...," they both whispered.

.

.

.

.

"No...," Adam looked to his left and right, as his own forces were disintegrated. "No," he repeated, as he half of his continue to be erased. He then looked at Blake; who was watching in horror like everyone else.

"No!" He instantly felt his Aura shattering; and was replaced with a very cold, numb feeling.

He knew his death was inevitable...

...and if he was going to die, then he was going to take Blake with him.

"NO!" Adam charged, his blade in his hand; ready to strike the feline faunas down with one swipe.

But, he would never make it.

Adam immediately disintegrated, just as he began running towards her; his sword sliding to a stop underneath her feet.

.

.

.

.

Lionheart was in his office, trying to get as much luggage so he can escape from the chaos.

But as he closed a drawer within his desk...

...he noticed his hand beginning to disintegrate.

He jerked away from his desk, as the headmaster felt the cold, numb feeling running through his body.

He looked at his other hand and saw it disintegrating too.

Lionheart was a second too late to scream, as the rest of his body disappeared from existence.

But out in the corner of the room, was a Seer Grimm.

...Salem had seen everything.

.

.

.

.

Hazel was still laying unconscious, within the debris inside Haven's lobby.

...In an instant, his body disintegrated.

.

.

.

.

"Blake..."

The feline faunas looked over to Sun again.

Blake couldn't tell how wide her eyes were now...

"Um...," it was only thing that Sun could say, as he was looking at his disintegrating hands...

...and then back at Blake.

He then begins to limp towards his friend.

And just at the right moment...

...he lays his head on her right shoulder, as the rest of his body fades away.

"..." Blake stood still, as the reality caught up to her.

.

.

.

.

Ruby looks at Jaune; who was now his knees, with Weiss still in his arms. She watched as tears uncontrollably spilled from his eyes.

"Jaune, be careful," Ruby blurted out.

But her words did not reach him.

"Not again..." Jaune muttered...

...before he too disintegrated with Weiss gently landing on his remains.

.

.

.

.

"Ruby..."

The little rose then turn towards her uncle...

...who had a sad smile on his face.

"Looks like my... luck has run out," Qrow said...

...before he too fades away.

Ruby could only cover her mouth, as a silent gasp escaped her lips.

.

.

.

.

"...r-ruby."

Ruby then looks down at her sister; who had just woken up from unconsciousness...

But, there was something else that Ruby noticed...

The 15 year-old saw little pecks of ash flying off of Yang...

"No..."

Ruby ran as fast as she could toward her dying sister...

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no."

The little rose skid right next to Yang.

As she slid to a stop, Ruby tried to catch as many packs of ash as she could..

...and struggled to place them back on her sister's body.

"Please, don't go."

"Please, don't go."

"Please, don't go."

"Please, don't go."

"Please, don't go."

"Please, don't go."

"Please, don't go."

"Please, don't go."

Yang's only hand touch Ruby's.

The little rose looks back down at her sister; tears erupting from her silver eyes.

Yang, in return, formed a small sad smile on her lips...

"...it's okay..."

.

.

.

"...it's okay..."

That was the last thing she said...

...before Yang faded away in her sister's arms.

.

.

.

.

Oscar silently looks down at the traumatized wilted rose.

Someone at his age; it was a rare chance for a kid to witness someone dying.

But... he was not one of those kids.

"What just happen?" Oscar overheard Ilia, as she rushed next to Blake; who was still frozen in her current position. "Blake, what the hell is going on!?"

The farmer boy knew Blake would not answer.

It was understandable.

They had all just witness the unexpected.

Raven...

Ren...

Mercury...

Adam...

Lionheart...

Hazel...

Sun...

Jaune...

Qrow...

...Yang...

They were all gone.

All of this was enough for Oscar to admit...

...this was not the miracle they needed.

* * *

 **(Cue "Cold" by Casey Lee Willams for the end credits)**

 **.**

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 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

The dark sky was slowly brightening and changing color as the sun was rising slowly out of the horizon; the shining yellow glow glimmering on the walls of the structures surrounding the lonely courtyard.

In spite of the sounds of birds chirping and flapping their small wings in the background, and the low cold wind blowing through the air and whisking leaves off the small trees, only silence was heard within the courtyard of Haven Academy.

Kneeling on the both knees in the middle of the empty courtyard was a visibly shaken Ruby Rose.

Her fingers were digging into her stockings; her knuckles already turned blue from the sheer force.

Her lips was left agape, with no sound of her soft, sweet voice coming out of the small hole that was her mouth.

Her hair tips swiftly swaying left and right from the continuous fidgeting that coursed through her body.

Her silver eyes remained wide open, and her pupils dilated sharply, while showing no sign of blinking.

If anyone were to see the current condition that effected her body, then they can quickly relate to what she was feeling right now...

It had been almost ten hours since _**the decimation**_ that was brought to the Kingdom of Mistral and to the rest of Remnant. The after effects of the worldwide catastrophe soon quickly followed. Millions of people suffered from the massive loss of human life. However, unfortunately, there were some people who had suffered even more than others.

Ruby was one of those people.

Laying around the traumatized girl were the ashes of the friends and enemies that she lost not too long ago. The cold, grey remains brushed quietly on the courtyard surface, as some of the remains still floated in the air.

This wasn't the first time that she watched one of her friends die, and back then she accepted the events that had occurred and kept moving forward; knowing that they wouldn't want to see her mourn their loss.

But what happened hours ago... was just too much for her.

Who could blame her, though?

She just lost two of the most important people in her life...

...and the dried, faint tear stains proved that.

There was, at least, some 'good news.'

Not all of her friends died. The ones that did survived left the courtyard a long while back and were currently resting inside the apartment that Ruby and the friends that she traveled with to Mistral stayed in, all coping with their own loss. Though they all wanted her to come with them, they also understood the pain the young huntress was going through at the moment. So they ultimately decided to leave her alone, until she finally had the courage to walk and speak again.

Sadly, Ruby hadn't moved a single inch since the decimation.

The little girl couldn't think straight.

She didn't know what to do.

Ever since leaving Patch, her original goal was to find the culprits that destroyed Beacon. Then it led to something even broader, when she was introduced to the Maidens and the Relics. She and everyone she knew and cared for were so close into reaching that goal.

Then all of that disappeared in a snap.

The being known as Thanos took that all away from Ruby.

If she had a choice, by now the girl would've already started looking for the Mad Titan. Unfortunately, Ruby didn't know where he was nor had the motivation to do so, especially after what Thanos did to her.

Thinking about those events would make no difference to her anymore. Ruby was already at a loss...

...and for the first time in her life, Ruby felt hopeless.

Well, that would've been the case if it weren't for the events that happened next.

The sudden sound of footsteps made the silver-eyed girl barely shift her head up for the first time, but only slightly.

She couldn't recognize who had just stopped in front of her, but a pair of metal boots and a right prosthetic arm, with its ring finger tainted dark red, entered her vision.

" **We need to talk.** "

 **.**

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 **Ruby Rose will return in "Anime War: Infinite"**


End file.
